Symbiosis
by Virgil Stein
Summary: What's Davis, a normal guy from our world who finds himself in the Twilight universe — without a body of his own — to do? I'll tell you what he won't be doing: replacing Bella, saving the galaxy, or changing the storyline of the books until you wonder why you even bother with fanfiction. Post Breaking Dawn. Meta-Twilight (as in, my character is in the book).
1. Event Horizon

**Beginning notes:** Twilight, its characters, and sequels are property of Stephenie Meyer.

Also, for those of you who have not seen the last Twilight movie: you should probably not read this until you have seen it or don't care about spoilers.

* * *

**-Chapter 1: Event Horizon-**

I stepped out of the jeep and into the frigid night air and moved my hands further up the sleeves of my jacket, silently cursing its lack of easy-to-access pockets. Brian slammed the driver's door and placed his carton of candy on the roof, rummaging through his pockets for god-knows-what. I waited for Brandon to haul his ass out of the back seat before reaching for the small soft cooler that was lying on the floorboards. Pulling the top open with a rip of the Velcro, I tossed one of the bottles of Game Fuel to my brother before taking mine out and discarding the cooler in the backseat again.

"You guys brought sodas again?" Brandon's large form whined at me, looking back and forth between Brian and me. Concessions here were always overpriced and I got the feeling Brandon was regretting not buying one at Walmart.

I shrugged and clipped my glasses on the collar of my shirt before shoving my bottle of soda in the hidden pocket of my jacket. I also put my packet of Dots on the outside pocket of my jacket, which stretched to the limit and very nearly didn't close.

"Davis," Brian asked, moving around the vehicle to stand with us. "Who's getting the tickets?" He waved the online receipt in his hand and looked from Brandon to me and back again.

"Brandon would love to do it!" I volunteered for him, grinning as he shot me a dirty look. Brandon wanted to see the movie, sure, but he didn't like people _knowing_ he was going to see the movie. He flat out told Brian and I that he would not go see the movie unless there were more than two total people going. If he was the one who got the tickets, it would make him even more uncomfortable.

Oh yes, it was the opening night for _Breaking Dawn, part 2_ and we three guys were seeing it – alone. Saying it like that, it almost sounds like it's an achievement; and considering the previous rotten films in the saga, it's not far from the truth. The truth is we were fans – oh yes, male Twilight fans – and it had become something of a tradition to watch each iteration the night it was released.

Now don't go filling your head with mental images of us. We're not flamboyant or gay – at least I don't think Brandon or Brian are – and we don't participate in any TEAM: PERSON hogwash. I'm a fan of supernatural media in all its forms, so it was only natural for me to read a book about vampires when so many people were talking about it. To be honest, I didn't realize Twilight was a 'chick flick' until I actually got into the theater for the first movie. Talk about an awkward moment when the entire female audience – practically the whole theater – started screaming about Edward having his shirt off.

"Let's go down this line of cars to get to the end of the line," I suggested, pointing out the line of people outside the theater that was beginning to wrap around the corner. We didn't have Brandon's obnoxious sister here this time to shield us from the onslaught of curious eyes as we entered the crowd's line of sight, so it was best to come in from behind and spare ourselves the embarrassment.

"Uh, yeah," Brandon agreed after getting a look at the line. "You got room for my candy in your jacket, Davis?"

"Hmm…" I pretended to think and patted the pocket my soda was in. "Nope, that's my glasses case." I patted the side pocket where my delicious Dots resided. "Another glasses case. Yeah, I can squeeze your case in on my other side." He handed over his box of candy and we continued on toward our doom.

"Are we getting popcorn?" Brian asked?

"Fuck no," I answered, imagining what the queue would be like if the line to get in was this bad. "That's what we brought candy for."

For the next few minutes the three of us discussed absolutely everything under the sun – from Breaking Bad to Halo 4 – except anything related to Twilight. We didn't want to draw the more enthusiastic fans into our personal space bubble after all, and talking about other things made us seem like people with more taste than to go see a Twilight film. Unfortunately, the moment became even more awkward than it already was when Jurassic Park came up.

"Yeah, I was pretty stoked when the trailer started and it showed the scenes from the original Jurassic Park," I explained to the other two. "I was _sure_ it was going to be _Jurassic Park 4_, but it turned out to be that piece of shit _Jurassic Park 3D_!"

"I know what you mean," Brandon said. "I was pretty pissed, too. There's no way I'm going to see that first movie again just for the 3D."

"Speaking of _Jurassic Park 4_," Brian cut in. "Did you know there's going to be hybrids in it?" Immediately, at least three people ahead of us in the line turned around at the sound of the h-word.

"In _Jurassic Park 4_?" I questioned, trying to clue in our curious neighbors that we were not, in fact, gossiping about Renesmee. "Hybrid what? Human and Dinosaur?"

"Yep," Brian confirmed, completely oblivious to being in the spotlight. The line moved forward a few feet and our small group shuffled forward, waiting to get inside the theater.

* * *

"So," I paused as Brian maneuvered the jeep out into the street. "That was _really_ bad."

"What did you expect?" Brandon questioned from the backseat as we drove down the nearly empty highway. "The movies suck compared to the books."

"Yeah, but I figured they could do a good job this time," I said, gripping the handle above my head as Brian took a corner a little faster than he should have. "I mean, the film was split up into two and it _still_ felt like the director was sprinting toward the end."

"I thought the same thing," Brian said, adjusting the heat, which was getting a little too warm for my taste. "But I thought the fight scene was pretty awesome."

"It was the only redeeming quality of the movie," I rolled my eyes at what Brian considered awesome. "But it still wasn't enough to make it worthwhile. My favorite part – honestly – was listening to the audience's reaction to most of the main characters being killed off."

"Yeah, that was pretty funny." Brandon laughed. "Too bad that wasn't the real ending."

"Well, they had to stick with the source material," I explained. "They're allowed a small margin of creative license, sure, but that 'vision ending' was way too over-the-top to be considered canon."

"Canon?" Brandon questioned.

"Stick to your day job," I quipped, giving him a smirk. "But I was _pissed_ that they went through the whole fight scene – which was seven-to-ten minutes, easy – and then just said 'oops, just kidding!' and took it back to before the fight started. They could have scattered that action around the first half of the movie or actually tried to make the confrontation as tense as it was in the book."

Before I knew it, we were back at Brandon's house and he was leaving for the night. I'm pretty sure the sucker had to work tomorrow – luckily I didn't have any classes on Friday so I was set. Brian and I waved him off and headed back out to the highway to continue our short drive home.

"You good to drive?" I asked. It was usually my responsibility to drive home after late-night showings in the theater – which we went to with surprising regularity.

"Yeah," Brian replied, speeding up to 55 MPH and turning on his brights. "The show started at ten instead of midnight, like it usually does, so I should be OK." I nodded and fiddled with the radio. It was really too bad that I had forgotten my charging cable for my iPhone. We could have been jamming out to Billy Joel or the Pokemon theme instead of listening to bad song after bad song. Brian opened his mouth to speak to me, turning his head slightly to the right.

He never saw the deer.

The large furry body slammed into the windshield and Brian flinched at the wheel and I jerked forward from the decrease in velocity. I'm not sure how or why, but all too soon the ground was on the roof of the jeep for a split second and then it was gone – and then it was back. For a moment the world revolved around our vehicle, and I felt as though I were riding a roller coaster. My limbs locked into place as the cliff face tumbled closer and closer toward our crumbling jeep and I didn't have time to scream.

And then it was quiet.

The smell of blood and gas was in the air. My ears were ringing, but I could still hear the whining of the steaming engine. The inside of the car was too small now – much too small. Where was the door?

"Brian?" No reply.

And then the cold crept in, and the moonlight fading through the ruined glass flickered and died.

I let go...

* * *

**End notes:** If you liked this, you should let me know. This story kind of popped into my head while I was in the middle of writing _Unstoppable Force_, but fear not! _Unstoppable Force_ will be taking priority over this one, I just need something to work on in my spare time when I cannot force anything productive out of my head for my original two fanfics.

So yes, the next update for this story (if there even _is_ one, because there aren't a whole lot of meta-twilight fanfictions out there) will be a while away. Use that time to do something productive like build a house or play Halo 4 or even something crazy, like reviewing my stories in Mandarin just because you know how to use Google Translate. Fun _and_ educational.

"Think about it, hero!" -Green Goblin-


	2. The Voice in Your Head

**-Chapter 2: The Voice in Your Head-**

I had expected death to be more of an oblivion than this. It was an apt description, I suppose – after all, it was black as pitch, with no speck of light anywhere. There were no sounds or smells, and nothing to touch or taste – but I still _was_. I was still here; still thinking and being. I hadn't expected that. I wanted to call out, to ask if Brian was OK – to hear my parents telling me everything was going to be alright – but I had no mouth to yell out with. And nothing was alright.

It's impossible to tell you how long I went on like that in isolation. There was no sun to blaze across the sky and there was no tick of the clock to mark the time. Had I been here an hour? A day? Longer? I wanted to close my eyes and go to sleep – to melt away like I had after the crash – but sleep eluded me in this place. The most disturbing thing was the loss of self, though. No aches or pains or chills were to be felt – in fact, there was no temperature to be felt. It wasn't cold – physically – but it felt that way, existing in such a bleak world with nothing to do but _think_.

So then, was this a dream? Was my body hooked up to a machine in a hospital somewhere? Or maybe nobody had found me and I was slowly bleeding to death. I tried to think back, to remember how badly I was hurt in the crash, but I couldn't. There were no memories of pain, just a pressure followed by numbness. My thoughts continued on and on like this for what I could only conceive as hours.

And then something changed. It was a little thing, not something I would have even registered had I been back in the world of the living. It was a pulse – a wave – that seemed to flow around my black prison. I could not _feel_ it, the way one could feel an arm or the wind, but I could sense it somehow; understand where it distorted and bent around an object.

Wait. Object?

Yes! Maybe it was instinct or insanity, but I just _knew_ I was not alone completely. There was something here, something not quite tangible but not insubstantial. Struggling to move toward the thing in the dark, I pushed and pulled at my phantom limbs like one would through smoke – desperate for them to move and _do_ something. Like before, but with greater intensity, a pulse vibrated through the void and wrapped itself around the dark for a moment before dissipating. It was like the afterimage of your surroundings when you close your eyes. For a brief moment, you can still see from beneath your eyelids before everything bleeds into darkness.

Was this me? Was _I_ the pulse or was it _coming_ from me?

Suddenly, a…warmth enveloped me. The familiar pulse was projecting it at me again, seeming more frantic than before. Was this the final end, then? I had always been a staunch Atheist, never believing in any sort of life after death or anything supernatural at all. It certainly wasn't a light at the end of the tunnel – after all, I still could not see – but it was still _something_!

NO! I wasn't ready to die – I wouldn't! I could stay here in this non-place forever, safe. The pulse sent me more of the unknown warmth and my resolve faltered. _Forever?_ I had no idea how long I had even been here to begin with; how could I contemplate remaining in purgatory forever? Not only that, but maybe the warmth was a _good thing_. The doctors could be charging the paddles right now, working to save my life, just waiting for me to come back into consciousness.

Decided, I reached out and accepted the warmth. It was easy, like relaxing a muscle you didn't even know was tensed. And then the floodgates opened, and the world shown through.

It was like a mist being cleared, the way reality filtered back into focus. The first thing I noticed was the weight of my body lying on the bed; though I could not move it, just feeling the smooth sheets on my skin and the body heat trapped within was a relief. I was alive after all. It was still as dark as it was in the void, but my hearing was coming back in inches. I had expected to hear the beeping of monitors and the hum of nurses and doctors talking and moving about, but instead I only heard the distant ticking of a clock and my own steady breathing.

It was only seconds later that I realized I was in absolutely no pain – no throbbing aches anywhere, not even a headache. How long had I been out? I tried to sit up and get out of bed, but my body would not move. I didn't feel sedated and nothing seemed to be holding me down, but still I was immobile. My legs jerked slightly, then relaxed, even though I was straining with all my might to move them. I tried to call out for help, but _of course_ my mouth would not move and my vocal chords remained relaxed; my breathing held steady.

_Somebody help me!_ I screamed out inside my head.

My eyes opened suddenly, without any command from me, and darted around in the near-darkness as I sat up. It was night time, that was for sure, and the only source of light came from under a door a few yards from the bed I was lying on.

"Who's there?" a voice asked. Wait! That was _my_ voice! No. Well, it _came_ from my mouth, but it wasn't _my_ voice. It was too deep; too aged. It sounded more like my grandfather than it did me.

My body got out of bed and reached for the light on the nightstand that I couldn't see, but knew was there. Bright light flooded the small room that I realized I had never been in before – a bedroom – and my hand moved on its own to shield my eyes from the harsh brightness. I stopped suddenly, and my hearing was suddenly focused on my surroundings – searching for anything out of place. My heart pounded loudly in my chest, but there was nothing to be heard. My body relaxed and I let out the breath I was holding, and I turned to look at the clock on the wall. 3:36, I was guessing AM. I turned and shuffled into an adjoining bathroom I hadn't noticed, my full bladder suddenly at the front of my mind.

I passed the vanity mirror and pure panic surged through me. The body I was in – which was _not_ me, if my reflection was any indication – stumbled and nearly fell to the floor. My left hand shot out and caught myself, and I turned my head to look in the mirror. I hardly paid any attention to the fact that I had successfully moved a body part on my own as I gazed at the middle-aged man before me.

He looked to be about forty-to-forty-five, with graying, balding hair that seemed to once be a light brown, and a worn-down looking face. His eyes were not my familiar blue, but were a dark green – maybe an olive shade. He was taller than I was, over six-feet for sure. His complexion was a healthy bronzed color, and he looked as though he could be a construction worker or police officer. It was certainly better looking than my usual pasty-white skin, although I could not reconcile with the fact I now, apparently, had aged over twenty years in under a… The thought cut off as I realized I didn't know what the date was.

My distracted thoughts apparently released my body's owner from whatever hold I had on him, and he stumbled back and crashed into the sliding-glass-door of the shower, breaking it and sending shards of glass tumbling to the floor. Luckily, he wasn't cut, and maneuvered his large frame away from the chaos and back into his bedroom. I could feel his heart racing in his – our – chest as he stumbled toward the door out of the bedroom and into a small living room, his hands shaking as they turned the knob.

"Oh god, I'm going crazy," the man mumbled, putting his head between his knees and taking deep breaths.

_You and me, both,_ I thought to myself. To my surprise, the man cranked his head around and crouched slightly, looking back into his bedroom. The nightstand lamp was still on and the covers on the bed were a mess, but he could not find anyone. Wait, had he heard _me_? I decided to test it out again.

_Hello? Can you hear me?_

"Where are you? What are you doing in my house?" the man demanded out loud, flattening his back up against the nearest wall and searching frantically about the empty space. I mentally chuckled a panicked laugh.

_I'm in your head, I think._

"This isn't happening," the man mumbled to himself as he slid down the wall and closed his eyes. "It's a dream. It's a dream." The mumbles turned incoherent, but his continued mantra echoed repeatedly through our shared thoughts.

I didn't have a chance to correct him. His eyelids quickly grew heavy and his mouth went slack. My awareness slipped away as his did, and I used my last thoughts to pray to whatever being that could hear me that I wouldn't go back to the void.

* * *

**End notes:** I've decided to continue on with this story. My other fanfiction, _Unstoppable Force_, will still get priority, but I'll try to write both at the same time from here on out.

For those of you waiting for Davis to hurry up and hook up with the Cullens: tough luck, you'll have to wait a few chapters until that'll happen.

Thanks for reading; stay classy.


	3. Pretend It's All Just A Bad Dream

**-Chapter 3: Pretend It's All Just A Bad Dream-**

When I was younger I used to have nightmares all the time. My parents even had me record them at one point, because I was having them so frequently. Most of them were nonsense, but a small number of them stuck with me and woke me up in a cold sweat. Watching my brother dying was a popular one, as was being chased and eaten alive by a horde of zombies. But these things weren't the _real_ reason I was so shaken; after all, they're just bad dreams.

What really left me gripping my sheets and sent my heart racing was how convincing they were. I would chant to myself while these horrible things were happening around me: _it's all a bad dream, it's not real, wake up!_ They were indistinguishable from reality while I was in them, and sometimes it would take me a few seconds after waking up to convince myself that _this_ was the real world and I wasn't dreaming.

So, I think it's to be expected that I had hoped the crash and the body-possession was all just a bad dream. It wasn't though, and that became clear when I – we – opened our eyes to the same unfamiliar living room from last night. The sunlight streaming in through the window to the left was warming our side, but it was the ringing phone that woke us up. The man I was riding in let out a breath and rolled to the side before pulling himself off the floor, his joints popping as he went. I decided to keep quiet as he shuffled toward the loud ringing sound.

"Hello?" the man answered the phone in a groggy voice.

_"Matt?"_ the voice on the line asked; a woman's voice. The man – Matt – paused in place with his mouth open, but no words came out. _"Matt, are you there?"_

"Yeah," Matt shook his head and finally spoke. "Yeah, I'm here."

_"Jesus, you forgot again, didn't you?"_ Matt furrowed his eyebrows as he lifted the phone away from his head by a few inches. In the back of my mind – the part that seemed to be just me – I could pick up on Matt's thoughts as he sifted through his foggy memories.

"Oh, shit," Matt sighed, rubbing his hand across his forehead and glancing at the clock. "I'm running late, Lori, but I'll be there as soon as I can." Without waiting for a response, Matt leaped into action and dove into his bedroom, tearing off his clothes and yanking on the first clean outfit he touched. I mentally cringed at seeing more of this body naked. He wedged the phone between his ear and shoulder as he quickly tied his shoes.

_"Matt!"_ Lori yelled through the phone. Matt dropped the still-to-be-tied shoe to the ground and adjusted the phone.

"Yeah?"

_"Look, just…" Lori sighed. "I'll get him to school today, but can you try to remember on Monday? It may not seem like such a big deal to you, but Max gets so excited on the days that you take him in."_

"No, of course I'll remember on Monday," Matt wedged off the one shoe he managed to put on and pulled up the zipper of his pants. "I just didn't get much sleep last night. Tell him I'm sorry, would you? And that I'll bring him breakfast Monday?"

_"You don't have to do that; he gets there early enough to eat at school."_

"I want to. I'll let you go, just…I'm really sorry."

_"It's fine,"_ she sighed. _"Get some sleep, Matt, you sound horrible."_

"I will, bye." There was no reply, just the background noise of Lori speaking to someone in the distance, followed by the click of the call being disconnected.

Matt – and I still had no idea what his last name was – started going about his morning routine and I tried my hardest to tune it out. It was a very strange concoction of emotions that swirled around within whatever part of me resided in Matt. I was terrified at being crushed in an accident and dropped in this man's body, frustrated that I was basically a _prisoner_ inside the body that was not my own, and ashamed that I was encroaching on his privacy. On top of that, I was absolutely confused. How is this possible? Is this permanent? What happened to the _real_ me?

I took a mental breath and calmed my mind. What I needed to do was come up with a game plan. I need to figure out exactly what happened to my brother and I. Oh god! Was he stuck somewhere like me, too? The panic began to rise in me and I could feel Matt's heart rate accelerate. Calm down, just calm down. In order to find out these things, I need to be able to actually communicate with the world. Thus, I need to communicate with Matt – who, if I'm not mistaken, is in some sort of repressive denial state – and convince him that he is not, in fact, crazy.

I tuned back into the real world to find my new best friend sitting in the living room, drinking a cup of coffee and watching TV. I mentally smirked at his choice of not-so-early-morning television – _Supernatural_ – and was nearly distracted when the old guy shoved the monster into the wood chipper. It was one of the better episodes of the sixth season. So, what do I do? Just talk to him and say 'hey, you're not crazy!'? This is probably not going to go well.

_Matt? Hello, can you hear me?_ I asked. His coffee spilled down his shirt and he jumped to his feet, swiping the hot liquid off his front with his hands. _Please don't freak out on me. I'm really here and you're not insane._

"No, no, no, no," Matt pleaded to himself, forgetting the stain completely and nearly falling down into his seat. "It's not real, you're just tired."

_My name is Davis Marks. I'm 21 years old and live in Washington, Missouri. The other night my brother and I were in a car accident and I woke up inside your head somehow. I don't know how and I don't know why, but I am real and you are _not_ crazy._ I figured just laying it all out there would be the best, but it looked like Matt would take some convincing.

"Well, you're not far from home," Matt muttered, then laughed to himself. "Look at me, talking to myself."

_We're in Washington? Where, exactly?_

"Downtown, in probably the cheapest apartment in town," his mumbling was actually starting to sound hysterical, and I wondered if just being inside his brain could actually make him crazy.

_Please,_ I begged. _Please, can you call my parents? This will prove it to you that you're not crazy! Please, I need to know what happened to me._

"This is just…" he trailed off.

_Please don't say 'crazy.' I think you've run through your allotted quota._

"Ha," he laughed and grabbed the phone. "I suppose at this point a random phone call seems fitting. So what's their phone number? 777-7777?" And here I thought Matt was actually beginning to believe me. I gave him the phone number and he dialed it.

_"Hello?"_ a male voice answered the phone that was clearly not my brother or my father.

_Ask for David,_ I supplied.

"Uh," Matt stuttered. "Is…David there?"

_"There's no one here by that name."_ What? The number was correct, I watched his hand dial the number with my – his – own eyes.

"Oh, sorry, wrong number." Matt ended the call and sat back in his chair. "Oh god, I really am insane."

And for a moment I considered that he was right, and that maybe I was just a figment of his imagination that manifested its own consciousness. Maybe this was what it felt like to be on the other side of crazy. Maybe I really _was_ this Matt, and Davis never existed. At least that's what I was telling myself until Matt resumed watching his TV show, blocking out all notions of 'crazy' and 'insane' and slipping into a stupor.

I'm not exactly sure why it felt so wrong, but it did. It was _alien_ to me – completely unfamiliar, and yet it carried such a haunting similarity that I had no trouble doubting myself. I was something of a fan of _Supernatural_ and had stuck with the series through the good times and bad, and though not everything was crystal clear in terms of remembering what happened during which episode, I knew that _this_ was wrong. The first episode he was watching was called _Weekend at Bobby's_, and was one of my favorites because it revolved around one of the supporting cast members for an entire episode instead of the usual two brothers. The second episode – if the syndication was running in order – should have been _Live Free or Twihard_, another one of my favorites.

It was not.

The Twihard episode poked fun at the entire _Twilight_ series, in that it involved a series of teenage girl runaways being lured in by vampires who pretended to be exactly what Stephenie Meyer wrote them as. A fake book series which was mockingly similar to the _Twilight_ series was even used, along with jokes about glitter and insults to the story as a whole. I imagine it would have upset a great many of the hardcore _Twilight_ fangirls, but I had thought it hilarious and a true gem in the otherwise stale sixth season.

Instead of that, it was an episode about zombies. The plots were similar, in that girls were still being abducted and there was a nest – or I guess horde – of zombies behind it, but no mention of vampires was made at all. I sat still in Matt's mind, just watching. Those were the _real_ actors for the show, and the episode was airing on a _real_ TV station. This was _real_, as far as I knew, so what the fuck was going on?

* * *

**End notes:** I've read a great many meta-twilight fanfictions, and I think only one really explored what kind of impact it would have on the world if _Twilight_ (meaning the series) never existed. _Supernatural_ was the one that came to mind first, and had the most significant change, but even shows like _The Vampire Diaries_ only started airing on TV after _Twilight_ became popular.

And sorry, kind reviewer, but the man Davis is 'possessing' wasn't Charlie.


	4. The World Without Twilight

**-Chapter 4: The World Without Twilight-**

"Twilight is the time between dawn and sunrise or between sunset and dusk, during which sunlight scattering in the upper atmosphere illuminates the lower atmosphere, and the surface of the earth is neither completely lit nor completely dark." Matt read the Wikipedia description aloud as we scanned the page on his blocky laptop. "I'm just not seeing anything about a book here."

This was just…insane. Somehow, when Brian and I crashed the Jeep I was disembodied and seemingly sent to a different reality – one where I don't exist, and neither does the _Twilight_ book series. I thought, maybe, it was a fluke or a malfunction of both Matt's TV and computer. But no. IMDb had no information on any of the movies, Stephenie Meyer's website didn't exist, and the top searches for 'twilight' on Google were explanations of the actual time of day or other products with the word 'twilight' in it. I honestly did not think I'd see the day where I could search for 'twilight' and have _The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess_ as search result number three.

At this point I was ready to ask what color the sky was, because this was _not_ the world I grew up in, even if it looked like it.

My frustration and helplessness flowed through me and into Matt, who slouched deeper in his leather chair as he received my tormented emotions.

"Look, maybe you imagined the book," Matt tried to reason with me. "You said you were in an accident…maybe this book was never real?" The last part sounded more like a question, and I mentally snorted.

_It was as big – if not bigger – than _Harry Potter_. Oh shit, does that book even exist here?_

"Harry Potter? With the wizards and stuff?" Matt coughed into his hand and navigated his browser back to the Google homepage.

_Yes. They made movies about the books. I don't think I could have dreamed this stuff up. Besides, it's not any crazier than having someone living in your brain, is it?_

"No, I suppose not," Matt grumbled under his breath.

The rest of the day went by in a blur of television and conversation with my new roommate. Matt spent a few hours watching some of the _Supernatural_ episodes that had changed with the absence of _Twilight_ and I spent the remaining hours of the day explaining to him the basic plotline of the _Twilight_ saga. It was a weight off my shoulders that he actually believed me, now. It was remarkable how well he adapted to sharing his body with a stranger, though he told me he thought it was kind of exciting – and on some level I agreed, it's not every day you become a body snatcher.

Matt dumped his dirty dishes in the sink and wiped his mouth on his paper towel, tossing it in the garbage can, and shuffled back to his bathroom. It was only 9:30, but he was exhausted, and was barely awake enough to turn the water on in the shower before hopping in. I squirmed inside what little room I was allowed in Matt's mind and tuned out from reality, grateful that his lethargy slowed my mental processes as well. My consciousness stirred slightly as I felt the cool sheets on my legs, before fading into a restful sleep.

* * *

The morning came with more grace than yesterday. We were allowed to wake naturally, and in a comfortable bed, no less. The curtains on the bedroom windows filtered the sunlight and cast a warm, dim glow on the floor. Through the walls of Matt's home, we could hear the acceleration of a large truck as it passed by on the street.

Matt turned his head to look at the excessively loud clock on the wall – only 8:30. His muscles relaxed and he turned off his side and onto his back, fighting to keep his eyelids open while he stared blankly at the pale white ceiling. In the back of his mind, he was debating whether or not trying to fall back asleep was a good idea. On one hand, more sleep; on the other, he could be out for three more hours and wake up hungry and irritable. He decided to just lie in bed – awake – for ten more minutes.

Only two minutes into our allotted relaxation time, I felt something vaguely familiar. The sensation was so peculiar; I could not pinpoint exactly _how_ I perceived it. Was it a noise? A physical feeling?

_Matt, do you feel that?_ I questioned.

"Nnnah," Matt let out a large breath and stretched under the covers. The mental whisper translated his blurb into 'no,' and I turned my attention back to the strange feeling, which was growing stronger. Matt closed his eyes as he started to lose the battle to stay awake in his bed, and the feeling grew stronger still.

Suddenly, I figured it out, and Matt's eyes jolted open as my excitement poured into his brain and his heart accelerated. It was the _pulse_! I hadn't noticed it before because of the sensory overload – the sights and sounds of the real world – but with our eyes closed it was familiar enough to recognize from the dark void.

The warmth – the pure _knowledge_ that there was something in close proximity. But what? Matt's eyes closed again and I focused harder, reaching out with my mind to grasp at the phantom feeling. The vibrating warmth settled somewhere outside Matt's front door and suddenly we were up and out of bed; I wasn't sure who was controlling our body as we bolted for the window and pulled back the blinds to peer outside. The brightness of the sun made us flinch back in shock, but we peered to the left, looking for anything that might have set off my…whatever this was.

A mail truck was parked on the curb outside, and further to the left, wouldn't you know it, was the mail man. He stepped off Matt's porch and strode past the window we were watching through, probably going to his next mail drop. We closed our eyes, and the pulse followed the man's stride. Confusion bubbled up inside me and Matt backed up onto the bed, saying nothing and giving me time to sort through my thoughts.

"So, what?" Matt questioned. "You have some sort of USPS sonar or something?"

_You felt it too?_

"No, not really. It was more like how you talk to me. I don't hear your voice, but somehow I still understand everything you're saying. It felt kind of like a memory." He shrugged and moved off the bed and into the bathroom to relieve and groom himself. "Can everyone where you're from do that sonar thing?" Matt asked as he was shaving his face. He clinked the razor on the sink and dragged the blade across another section of his cheek.

_Ha, no. It's not so much different than here. This pulse…thing…it's all new to me too._

Matt wiped his face off with a towel and went into the kitchen, leaning against the refrigerator door as he searched the nearly-barren selection of food. He took out an egg carton and took the last two out, placing them on the kitchen counter and trashing the container. The frying pan was sitting on the stove, but I can't remember him using it at all in the short time we shared together. We cringed as he took in the greasy black tar look of the skillet; Matt gave it a thorough scrub with some wet paper towels and fired up the stove top. He cracked the eggs into the pan and leaned against the cabinet, letting his eyes go unfocussed as the soothing popping sounds of frying food filled the kitchen.

_What do you do for a living, Matt?_ I questioned.

"Well," Matt coughed. "I'm currently…unemployed. I used to work excavation jobs; mostly down on the quarry on forty-four."

_What happened?_

He sighed. "Life happened. I got Asthma – not the life threatening kind, but enough to make me lose my job. Working in the quarry isn't exactly good for the lungs. Some days I'd come home and couldn't breathe for hours – sometimes days."

_Too many sick days?_

"Yeah," Matt grumbled, flipping the eggs over. "No. Well, I wasn't fired or let go, if that's what you're asking. My doctor advised I stop working in the quarry – said if I didn't, I could end up with serious health issues. She didn't come out and say I'd die, but I'm pretty sure that's what she was getting at. I wasn't going to quit, did you know? It was Max – my son. He was so serious, the little kid, sat me down and everything. He told me he'd rather have a poor daddy than a dead one. I gave my two weeks' notice the next day."

_I'm sorry._

"Don't worry about it," Matt waved his hand and flipped the eggs onto a plate and filled a glass with tap water. "I'll get by. Heck, maybe I can write this vampire story of yours and become a millionaire." Matt suddenly started laughing, spitting egg onto the floor, as I imagined what the dialogue for Matt's version of _Twilight_ would read like.

_You should _totally_ do that, Matt._

After Matt cleaned his plate and wiped the egg stain off the floor, he went out to get the mail and then plopped down on the couch to watch some more TV. Seeing him like this was kind of therapeutic. Here was a man with health problems that prevented him from working, who was unemployed and middle aged, who had a kid who lived with his mother, and had little to no social life, and his surface thoughts were completely content as he watched his television program. It made me wonder if I would be as calm about my displacement situation if I were in my own body, or if Matt's natural calm temperament was keeping me from flipping the fuck out.

* * *

**End notes:** Don't worry, next chapter I'll have something new for you than Davis talking with Matt. We're still quite a few chapters away from the vampires, but don't worry, we'll get there.

Oh, and I'm on winter break now, so I'll be able to write late into the night and during whatever dead time I have during the day. So maybe I can crank these chapters out a bit faster or make them a tad longer. We'll see what happens.


	5. Jump Ship

**-Chapter 5: Jump Ship-**

The sound of Matt's footsteps on the concrete walkway carried as we lumbered toward his car. I've never been a car expert, so all I could claim to know about the vehicle was that it was old, small, and was a pale tan color. The car door creaked open and we slid inside, closing it after we entered and flipping down the visor to keep the morning sun's blinding rays from frying our eyes. Matt turned the key in the ignition and sat back in his seat, letting the car heat up before we left. As we waited, Matt fiddled with the radio; settling on an oldies station and drumming his fingers on the steering wheel in rhythm with the music. When the ancient vents started radiating some form of heat, he put the car into drive and headed off down the street.

The reason we were up so early this morning was because it was Monday, and Matt needed no reminders that today was the day he would take his son to school. He seemed excited about seeing the kid, so I was unsure if this was a rare occasion or a weekly event. Matt's thoughts, though, were currently running through possible breakfast items for Max, and I didn't want to pester him with questions so early in the morning. A few minutes later and a several blocks into the center of town, we pulled into the parking lot of a donut shop.

The selection of donuts was slim, which was a real shame. I, personally, had hardly ever had the opportunity to get to a donut shop early enough to snag the good pastries. The bear claws, apple fritters, and the ones with the cream filling were always gone by 8:00, and there's absolutely no way I would willingly get up early enough to get them.

"I'll take a dozen donut holes," Matt said to the teenager working the cash register. "And…I suppose two of those as well." He pointed to a dull-brown donut that had no sprinkles or icing on it at all – to be honest I wasn't sure if it was, in fact, a donut – but was the only other pastry left. The girl nodded and moved to retrieve the donuts from the display case. The familiar warm pulsing sensation emanated from the teenager and I silently wondered if this was some sort of supernatural tracking ability. She moved back to the register to ring up the total and the pulse moved with her.

_Well, at least you'll never get snuck up on with me around_, I thought to Matt. He grinned in response.

We took the paper bag and exited the shop, getting back in the car and starting the engine. Matt took one of the odd-looking donuts out of the bag and took a small bite out of it. We furrowed our brow as Matt took the donut out of his mouth and glanced at it. It didn't taste _bad_, but it was certainly lacking in that familiar donut sweetness. Matt sighed and put the pastry in his mouth, holding it in his teeth as he shifted the car into reverse and pulled out of his parking spot and started the drive toward Max.

The drive wasn't very long at all – maybe a bit shorter than from Matt's house to the donut shop. Lori's house was nicer than I expected, but I guess I shouldn't have been surprised after viewing the other houses in the subdivision. It was brick, with two stories and was much larger than Matt's home. That's not to say it was a mansion, but it was easy to tell Lori did well for herself.

The vibrations coming from the house were muted, but I could faintly tell that there were exactly two people in the house, although I could not pinpoint their exact locations. I pushed my awareness out and could feel encompassing warmth from several of the surrounding homes, gradually fading into the distance.

We pulled into the driveway and Matt shut off the engine. He wiped his mouth off with his arm and grabbed the bag full of donut holes – and one plain donut – and stepped out of the car. We didn't even have to knock or ring the doorbell before the front door opened and a small boy – about five or six years old – rushed out of the house toward us with a grin.

"Daddy!" The boy practically shrieked as he bounced up and down, grabbing hold of our free hand and dragging us toward the house. "I told mom you'd be here. What'd you bring? Is it for me?" If I would have been there in body I probably would have been shocked into silence by the intensity of the child's excitement. And to think, Matt would be feeding his son sugary donuts in a few minutes. Oh, the horror.

"Hey, little guy," Matt said as we walked through the threshold and into the house – which was very tidy and spacious – stopping once we were inside the kitchen. "I brought you some donuts!" He set the bag on the kitchen table, and within moments Max had descended upon the bag, grabbing three of the sticky spheres and gobbling them up.

"Hi, Matt," Lori greeted as she breezed into the kitchen, grabbing a few dishes out of the dryer and putting them away. She filled a plastic cup with milk and gave it to Max, who took a big slurp of it through the built-in straw. "Max has been so excited to see you today. A little too excited." She ruffled the boy's hair.

She was younger looking than Matt was, and was definitely in better shape. Her hair was a dirty blonde, made into a ponytail that went past her shoulder blades. She was dressed nicely, in suit pants and a jacket – both black in color. Over all, she embodied the 'office clerk' look that would often be waiting in lobbies behind desks, greeting you as you walked in and asking you what you needed.

Matt nodded and took a seat next to his son. "Where's Tim? Already gone off to work?"

"Yep," Lori nodded, swiping the empty cup that Max continued to slurp on, regardless of its empty state. "He goes in early on Mondays and Wednesdays now."

Matt sighed and took a look at the clock in the kitchen – 7:25AM. "Well, buddy, it's almost time to leave for school. Finish off your donuts and put on your shoes, OK?"

Max stuffed the last two donuts in his mouth and said something unintelligible, getting down out of his chair and running off.

"So, should I stop by on Wednesday as well?" Matt asked Lori.

"I think he'd like that," Lori said as she took the discarded paper bag and dumped it in the trash can. "Tim said he'll get Max from school, though, so you don't have to worry about the afternoons."

Lori moved closer to where we were standing, and the pulsing warmth very nearly crackled with energy. Every shift of her body – every twitch of a muscle – was felt through the strange void. It was similar to the sightless pit I was stuck in right before falling into Matt's life, almost a pulling sensation that brushed and tingled ever so lightly with each cycle.

Lori placed her hand on our shoulder and let out a breath.

Suddenly, an enormous cavern of an unknown sensation skimmed across my mind. It was like a pressure being relieved, like air flowing steadily out of a tire. The hot and humid temperature I had grown so used to was punctured by an open door, and the cold and biting air flowed in. Or did my warmth flow out?

The mental connections I didn't even know I had formed with Matt slipped away and I plunged forth into the second chamber, into another unknown. My vision and hearing and all other worldly sensation fell away from me, and for the briefest second I was alone in oblivion once again. But like a train into a tunnel, the bright light of day pierced through on the other side and I came back into the world.

But the world was…different.

I was still in the kitchen – still a mental hostage – but I wasn't inside the mind of Matt anymore. No. He was sitting in the chair, sitting where _we_ were just sitting. My hand was resting on his shoulder, the fingers more slender and the skin more fair. A well of panic built up inside me and my new body let out a small gasp and pulled the hand away, rubbing fingers against palm.

I was in Lori's body.

Lori's confusion and uncertainty flowed through along with her surface thoughts, but she had only opened her mouth to ask Matt if he had felt the strange sensation as well when Max trotted into the kitchen. Lori shook her head and smiled at her son, mentally checking to see if he had his shoes tied correctly and that he had his backpack for school.

"Have a good day," Lori said, leaning down and placing a quick kiss into Max's hair. "Tim's picking you up today!" She called out as father and son walked out of the kitchen and toward the front door.

"OK!" Max called back. "Bye, mom!" The front door closed, leaving Lori alone in the house – well, as alone as one could be with someone in their head. The sound of the car starting up and driving away seemed to get Lori back in her morning rhythm, and she headed back upstairs to the bathroom.

I retreated into my mind as fast as I could, especially not wanting to see – or _feel_ – anything that should be kept private. I worked on calming my thoughts, not wanting to give Lori the same scare that I gave Matt on our first encounter.

Matt!

My mental retreat collapsed a bit on the thought of my old…host – I suppose that was the word. How long until he realized I wasn't there? Would he eventually convince himself that I was a passing fit of mental instability? No, that wasn't a problem anymore. If I could get Lori to speak to Matt about me, he'd know I was, without a doubt, real.

I crawled back into Lori's active thoughts and was relieved when we were back in the kitchen. She was putting the lid on what looked to be a travel mug of coffee. Her thoughts were going through a mental checklist of things to do before leaving for the day.

I panicked, suddenly, and some of it leaked through to Lori, who froze in place, her car keys swinging in her hand. I needed to let myself be known now. There was no guarantee a stray thought – or another emotion – wouldn't leak through during her drive into work. Moving at high speeds was not an ideal situation to find out you were harboring another person inside your mind.

I took a mental breath and spoke.

_Lori, don't freak out, OK?_

* * *

**End notes:** Sorry this took a while to get out, I just couldn't find the motivation to finish this chapter for a few days. More to come, soon.


	6. Page Master

**-Chapter 6: Page Master-**

Lori paced the floor of the kitchen, her thoughts spinning in circles. It was very similar to how Matt had reacted to my presence, multiplied by three. She was jumping from calm to confused to frantic and back again so fast that I had to retreat into my own private corner of her mind to prevent emotional whiplash. She didn't pass out like Matt did, though, and I have to give her credit for that. She very nearly had a panic attack and she was on-and-off hyperventilating, but she was taking it well.

I explained – several times – who I was, and what had happened with Matt. I described the crash, my whole 'alternate reality' theory, and how I kind of didn't exist in this world. The words 'crazy' and 'insane' were, of course, tossed about as Lori started mumbling to herself.

Needless to say, Lori took the day off of work.

We flinched at the abrupt knocking that shook Lori from her mental whirlwind. She stood and crept to the front door, feeling leery about opening it. It took great effort to restrain myself from shouting out that it was most likely Matt at the door – after all, she had called him and demanded he come over, offering no explanation. She turned the knob and inched the door open, staring through the small between the door and frame.

"Matt," she sighed in relief, opening up the door completely and stepping to the side so he could enter.

"Lori, what's wrong?" Matt grasped our shoulders and peered into our eyes in confusion. The gentle pulsing of his life force – as I had taken to referring to it as – opening up the connection I would need to jump to a new host. I held back, though. "What is it?"

"I think…I just…am I crazy?" Tears were building behind our eyes and she blinked several times to dispel the pressure. "I'm hearing things and talking to myself and-"

"Lori!" Matt cut her off. "What are you talking about? Who has been talking to you?" I noticed the way he phrased the question, automatically assuming there was someone – me – inside her head.

"He said his name was Davis." Matt whooshed out a breath and dropped his hands from our shoulders, taking a step back. His hand flew to his jaw and he rubbed his stubble, looking thoughtful. "Matt?" Lori questioned after Matt was silent for more than a few seconds.

"Is he…there with you now?" Matt asked.

_Yes,_ I told Lori.

"Yes," Lori parroted, her voice rising higher than normal. "He said he was in a crash and ended up in…inside your head. How is this possible? Is it true?"

"Yes," Matt nodded. "It's all true. How did you get into Lori's head, Davis?" Matt questioned.

_I'm not sure, exactly. I think I have to be touching for it to work, but I can…jump into another person._

"He said he doesn't know for sure. He said he can jump to another person if he's touching them," she took a breath. "Matt, do you think we should try to…get rid of him? I mean, there's got to be an exorcist or someone who could…allow Davis to move on."

_What? NO! I'm not moving on – I don't even know for sure if I'm dead!_ Lori flinched at my mental yelling and clamped her eyes shut.

"It's alright," Matt grappled us into a hug and Lori rested her chin on Matt's shoulder. "Davis was in my head for a few days. He's not a bad guy – in fact, he has it worse-off than we do, not having a body of his own."

I probably should have asked permission first, but Lori's want to 'purge' me with an exorcism pushed me to act on instinct, and I flowed out of Lori's mind and into Matt's. His slower thought patterns and calmer atmosphere were extremely obvious now, after being inside Lori's mind for an hour or two.

_I jumped back into your mind, I hope that's OK. Lori didn't seem to be holding up too well with me riding around in her._

Matt nodded his head slightly against Lori's head and pulled back from the embrace.

"He's back with me, now," Matt assured Lori. "You won't have to worry yourself with this anymore."

"But what about you?" Lori asked, her eyes were swollen and slightly red. "And what about Max? What if it gets into him?" Her voice took on a hysterical tone as her breathing started to increase.

"Nothing will happen to Max," Matt's voice was firm. "We'll figure this out, Lori. I doubt Davis wants to spend the rest of his life inside my head, but it's possible he may be stuck here. Have Tim take Max to school if it makes you feel better."

Lori nodded but said nothing. I remained silent as well, not sure what my assurance not to harm their son would mean to Lori.

"I'll call you later, then," Max stepped back to the front door. "Tell Max I'm sorry I won't be able to take him." Lori nodded again, seemingly mute. Matt opened the door and walked outside to his car.

The ride back was mostly silent, save for Matt's running thoughts on how to both help me and get rid of me. I couldn't fault him for wishing me gone – I wished me gone as well.

_I'm sorry you won't be able to see your son,_ I thought to him.

"Don't worry about it," Matt shook his head. "Your problems are a bit larger than my own. Speaking of, do you have any ideas? I mean, if you came into this 'universe' there has to be a way for you to go back, right?"

_I suppose you're right, but I have no idea _how_ I got here – much less how to get back._

* * *

"I don't see anything about what happened to you," Matt said as he stared at the computer screen, sifting through search results. "Astral projection, out of body experiences, ghosts; none of these fit, do they?"

_Well, astral projection might – this is another plane of existence, at least to me._

"This is so fucking stupid!" Matt shouted aloud and slammed his fist on the table top. "There are articles that say what it _is_, but nothing worth reading on how to do it!"

After we got back from Lori's house, Matt opened up a beer and fired up the laptop. He wasn't the quickest or the most skillful at the computer, so it took a few hours for us to get this far – which was nowhere at all.

Matt looked up from the computer screen and glanced at the TV, which was currently airing one of those unsolved crime shows, before taking another swig of his third beer and diving back into the research.

_Don't stress out, Matt,_ I said. _I really don't think it's as simple as figuring out the secret on the internet, anyway._

He sighed out an 'OK' and shut the lid to his crap laptop before finishing off his beverage. I mentally shook my head at the buzz running through our head. I was 21, sure, but I had never drunk alcohol before – it just wasn't my kind of thing. I wasn't about to ask Matt to choose a different drink, though. It was bad enough I was invading his entire life; I didn't need to dictate how he lived as well.

Our focus shifted to the television, and the mysterious setting displayed on-screen. It was night in a city, ominous music playing softly in the background with the host's voice describing the setting.

_"…late spring of 2006, over fifty murders and thirty to forty disappearances shook the Seattle area. No witnesses. No leads. Was this the work of an extremely active serial killer? Several investigators suggested a gang was involved, though even that is a stretch, another source claimed."_

The scene shifted to a young woman being grabbed by a large number of masked men – in slow motion, mind you – and dragged into an ally.

_"It's extremely unlikely it was _one_ person,"_ a middle-aged police-type said into the camera. _"The sheer number of bodies suggests a group of killers; most likely a gang, but that's just an assumption."_

A wave of numbness shot through me. When did _this_ happen? Something like fifty people getting murdered is bound to get national attention – and indeed it did, and more – and yet this is the first time I had heard about it in six years. A feeling of déjà vu itched at my mind as we watched the unsolved crime show, and I searched through my memories trying to find the connection.

_"…dropped off, back to normal levels somewhere in June of 2006. The killers – if indeed it was more than one person – were never caught."_

_No,_ I thought.

"Davis?" Matt questioned.

_No._

"Davis, what's wrong?"

I couldn't answer, because at that moment I was completely dumbfounded. That was _impossible_! Those murders matched up _exactly_ with the plot of _Eclipse_, from the murders and disappearances to the abrupt stop. There were no suspects because fucking _vampires_ were responsible. Fictional vampires from a book that I was a fan of.

A book that no longer existed. Well, at least now I know why the books disappeared.

Was this my life? Really?

I've read the fanfictions where it has happened, of course. A lonely fan gets dropped into the fantasy world of _Twilight_ and gets to interact with the main characters. Hell, most of the time they _replaced_ the main characters. They would be dropped into the middle and have to work their way through to see the happy ending.

Why the fuck did this fanfiction have to be so difficult on me?

I wasn't in Forks. I was in Missouri. It wasn't the middle of the book, either. If my math was right it was nearly six years after _Breaking Dawn_. Well, that's if we're following the books and not the movies. The movies took place a few years later to match up with our timeline and-

"Davis!" Matt shouted, bringing me out of my downward spiral of panic. "What the _fuck_ is wrong?" Our heart was pounding and I could feel the cold sweat seeping into our skin from my discovery.

_I think I'm in a book series._

"Come again?" Matt questioned, scrunching our eyebrows together and shifting on the couch. "A book?"

_The ones I told you about. Twilight. None of them are printed in this world because we are _in_ them! Or, at least the world that the books take place in._

"You're sure?"

_That's all you have to say? I tell you you're living in a book and you ask me if I'm sure?_ I was beginning to empathize with Lori, feeing the walls moving in on me and believing I was crazy.

"You're living in my head," Matt shrugged. "How much weirder is it that we're in a book, too?"

Matt started laughing from my sudden spike of hysteria. Of course Matt wouldn't be concerned. He was living in a world full of vampires and had a body jumper living inside his head, but it was no big deal. No, not at all.

"But seriously," Matt calmed down and took a steadying breath. "Are you sure? Do you have any proof?"

I considered that for a moment. We could travel to Forks and poke around, but that was super expensive and I doubt Matt would do it without solid, concrete proof. I doubt the Cullens were listed in the phone book, either. In fact, they had probably moved on to their next area – Alaska would be my guess. But it was just that, a guess.

_Oh!_ I exclaimed. _Bella – the main character – had a dad who was the police chief for Forks. He should still be living there. All we have to do is look up his number and call him. If Charlie Swan lives in Forks and has a daughter named Bella, I'd say that was pretty concrete._

"Another phone call?" Matt felt a little hesitant to try it again. "What if you're wrong again?"

_I'm not. But if I am, at least that will be one less problem to deal with._

"Fine," Matt huffed out, reaching for the laptop again.

It was surprisingly easy to find the number – which did, in fact, exist – and Matt brought the laptop into the kitchen to dial the number on the phone. He punched the numbers into the phone and held it to our ear, the ringing sound running through several times before a click sounded, signifying the person on the other end had picked up the call.

"Hello?" A female voice asked.

"H-hello," Matt stuttered, sharing my nerves. "Uh, is…Charlie Swan there?" There was a moment of silence, only the quiet breathing could be heard through the phone.

"He's not here right now, who's calling?" Her tone took on a hard quality. She was suspicious. Was this Sue Clearwater?

_Ask her if her name is Sue,_ I prompted.

"My name is…uh. Is this Sue?" I mentally facepalmed at Matt's oh-so-smooth moves on the phone. "Uh…Clearwater?"

Silence.

"It is," she seemed hesitant to confirm her identity. "Now, who is this?"

* * *

**End notes:** Well, things are moving right along for Davis. It's only a few more chapters until we meet some of the Cullens.

I'd apologize for the late update, but it was the holidays and stuff so I really don't feel the need. At least the chapter was longer than usual - marginally.

Anyway, happy new year, everyone.


	7. Meatsuit

**-Chapter 7: Meatsuit-**

Lori sat in the kitchen chair she had dragged into the living room as she typed away on her laptop – a much sleeker model than Matt's old clunker. About every forty-five seconds, she would glance up at us for a brief second before returning to her typing. I'm pretty sure she was nervous having me near her – even though I didn't make myself known to her; hell, I _couldn't_ make myself known.

Things got pretty exciting around here after the phone call with Sue Clearwater. Matt had – in all his grace – hung up on her after she repeatedly demanded to know who was calling, and spent some quiet time contemplating his life inside a book universe. He was fine with the idea when it was just a theory, but when the reality hit him his thoughts were filled with questions like 'what does my life mean?' and 'is someone reading about my life right now?'.

It was exhausting.

When he got his head on straight, though, he came up with a brilliant idea. I was a little angry at myself for not thinking of it first, and I wasn't entirely sure it would work, but it was the best progressive idea made regarding my situation.

In _Supernatural_, demons were clouds of black smoke that would shove themselves down the throats of people in order to possess them and take control of the person's body. Somewhere during the fourth season, a demon called Ruby teams up with Sam, a hunter, to kill off a boss demon. I won't go into details, but the part that matters is that Sam was uncomfortable with Ruby walking around in a person's body, essentially trapping the poor soul inside.

Ruby came up with a solution: possess a body in which the spirit has already left the body – basically someone on life support.

So, the plan we had right now was to find a suitable body, that was void of a 'spirit,' and have me jump into it. I'll admit, we were running off of assumptions based off of a television show, but the risk of potentially being trapped inside the empty head of a vegetable was worth the reward of having my own body – without sharing the space. The problem was _finding_ one.

This was why Lori was here – she was a paralegal for one of the firms in St. Louis and had access to a bunch of internet stuff that I couldn't completely understand. Researching and digging for information was what she did, so even if her 'contacts' were a bust, she would be more help than Matt's lightning-fast fifteen words-per-minute, hunt and peck computer skills.

"Elderly man," Lori muses out loud. "Sixty-seven and is on life support because…of a stroke." Lori looks at us with raised eyebrows, asking for our approval. There's no way I'm walking around in an old man's body.

"Umm," Matt looks apologetically at Lori. "Davis doesn't like that one. Maybe someone a little more his age?" Lori clicks away for another few minutes.

"Twenty-eight year old woman with brain damage caused by an apartment fire," her eyes scanned the screen, moving back and forth. "Lack of oxygen to the brain, stabilized but unresponsive."

Matt didn't need me to answer, he was already shaking his head no. Being in Lori's body hadn't been completely alien, like I thought it would be, but it would be a little weird to be in a female body twenty-four-seven – potentially for the rest of my life.

"I found one that I think you'll like," she shouted, half excited and half nervous. A few more keyboard clicks. "Emil Brock – seventeen years old, listed as an orphan. His parents died in the same incident that put him in a coma. He's brain dead – from head trauma – but his file says he wanted life support…indefinitely."

"Indefinitely?" Matt questioned, feeling skeptical. I was a little uncertain as well. How could you sign up for life support forever? On all the hospital shows I had ever watched, the patients were usually forced off the machines after a set amount of time.

"His family is wealthy," Lori explained after a few seconds. "It says here he's the son of the CEO of some company – well, former CEO, now. His guardian is listed as a Ms. Weying, though I can't pull up how she's connected to Emil. She's the one ensuring the life support remains. Oh wow." Lori paused.

"What?" Matt asked.

"He was moved to a private medical building in – you'll never guess – Kansas City. As in, _Missouri_!"

"That's…close enough to drive," Matt sighed, looking excited. "Where was he moved from?"

"Seattle," Lori said, not quite believing what the computer was telling her. "But that's…"

_Near Forks. Right where I was headed,_ I finished her sentence silently. Matt nodded to confirm to Lori.

Lori let out a loud, fake sounding sigh and shook her head before going back to work on the computer. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

That night didn't last as long as I thought it would. An hour after we had selected my ideal host body, Lori went home and Matt quickly dozed off. The days following that night, however, were full of arguments – mostly coming from Lori.

Matt had volunteered to drive to Kansas City and allow me to jump into Emil's body and Lori had tried to talk him out of it at every turn. 'Too dangerous,' she had said. 'You'll get caught.' This was possible, hell, it was even _likely_. While he probably won't get hassled on the way in, he would have to hurry after he 'planted' me in the body.

After all, a comatose, brain-dead kid coming back to life after a mysterious stranger visits is bound to raise questions.

But, Matt held his own and told Lori to 'find a way.' And she did.

Which is why we were nearly to the hospital now. Matt had driven through the night and we were very tired, but he had refused to get a hotel room for the night.

"They check your ID," Matt had said. "Lori said not to leave a trail if I could help it – after all, we're kind of kidnapping someone." I could see his logic.

The plan was to walk into the hospital toward the end of visiting hours – 8:00PM – and do the transfer then, right when there was a shift change for the security. Lori had done some research on the place, and it didn't have a lot of security to begin with. She couldn't find any digital logs of visitors, so she had to assume the front desk had one of those old-school pen-and-paper, honor system sign in pads.

It seemed so easy to accomplish, in theory, but I had an itch in the back of my mind telling me something would go wrong and we would fail epically.

The hospital building wasn't anything like I had expected. It wasn't tall – only four stories – and it wasn't situated in the heart of the city, like I had imagined. There weren't any skyscrapers around and no buzzing traffic or wailing trains; just the constant flow of speeding cars on the highway.

I suppose this was my mistake. After all, this wasn't the place the average joe would go to if they were injured. This was the high-class, personal-touch hospital for the monetarily gifted.

We pulled into the parking lot and Matt shut off the engine, taking a deep breath and relaxing his muscles as he reclined into his seat. It was dark out now, but the dim digital clock on the radio said it was 7:23 so I let Matt have his moment of Zen.

We spent the next twenty minutes or so listening to the crackling radio stations that Kansas City had to offer. The stations he had preset into the radio didn't work on the other side of the state, though, and so for the most part all we listened to was commercials.

At 7:47 I nudged Matt's mind and he jerked into alertness.

_Are you ready?_ I asked.

"Yeah," Matt replied, but we both knew he was terrified.

Don't get me wrong, I was, too. I had never even gotten a speeding ticket back in my world, and now I was assisting in the abduction of another person. Desperate times, I suppose.

Matt opened the car door with a groan and stepped outside into the frigid air, letting out a shudder and ducking his head. We walked toward the building with a purposeful stride, crossing the parking lot and stopping at the glass doors to the hospital. The automated sliding doors opened and we stepped over the threshold.

Our shoulders didn't relax, even as the warmth of the heated lobby reached us. The receptionist glanced up at us and then her eyes flickered to the clock on the wall. She scowled at her desk and I allowed a thimble of relief to escape. She didn't suspect we were kidnappers – that's a good omen.

We approached the desk and put our hands on the wooden counter, waiting for the receptionist to look up from her iPhone.

"Welcome to Montgomery Hospital," she sighed out, offering no 'how may we help you?'

She must really hate her job or something. I would have expected someone who worked in an exclusive hospital to be a little more accommodating. Not that I was complaining – apathy worked great for our plan.

"Could you point out the restrooms?" Matt asked, shifting his weight as his nerves started to get to him.

"Down the hall, by the elevators," the receptionist jerked her head behind her. "By the sign that says 'restrooms.'"

We ducked into the men's room and Matt turned on the sink faucet, letting a stream of water splash into his cupped hands. He brought the water to his face and let the cool liquid flow over his heated cheeks. He flicked his hands at the sink to get the water off and grabbed a paper towel, drying his hands with deliberate slowness before trashing the rag and exiting the restroom.

_Which room is he in?_ Matt thought to me as we moved toward the stairwell instead of the elevators.

_314_, I replied. Matt nodded and started up the stairwell.

Our heart was pumping so fast and loud when we entered the room that I thought it would give us away. The room had the standard 'hospital' look to it – bed, TV, window, and built-in small bathroom. It _felt_ nicer, though; less of a dreary place that people went to die.

"You feel anything, Davis?" Matt whispered.

I gave myself a mental knock on the head. Through all the excitement, I had forgotten about my new 'ability.' I focused, and we both started to smile as I realized there was a steady, pulsing warmth coming from the prone form on the hospital bed.

_Yes._

"If this doesn't work," Matt started, moving away from the door and over to the boy. "If you get stuck in there and can't move...I'll be here. Just jump back into me, OK?"

_It's going to work, I can feel it,_ I said with confidence.

Matt nodded and shuffled over to the monitors. Lori had gone over how to flip the switches that would turn off the sound on the machines. She told him that disconnecting _anything_ could set them off and we'd be caught. Matt flipped a switch and pushed a button, and then moved over to Emil's body.

The steady sound of the breathing machine – for lack of another term – was soothing, albeit odd to look at. The boy – and indeed he was a boy, not even a legal adult – had wavy, jet black hair. His complexion was pale and he had a narrow face with sunken-in eyes. He looked to be about six-foot tall with a slim build, but it was difficult to tell when he was bundled up and lying on his back.

Matt moved closer and grasped onto his left hand. The warmth seemed to get hotter and more frantic. I felt the familiar opening sensation and I hesitated for a second.

"Whenever you're ready, kid," Matt mumbled.

I gave a mental nod and jumped through the void and into the abyss.

* * *

**End notes:** So, classes have started back up and I have absolutely no free time during the day. It kind of blows, going from 100% free time during winter break to none. But whatever...

This chapter was kind of a major time-fast-forward, transitional piece. It seemed a bit rushed to me, but I am honestly a little tired of Davis' backseat roll in Matt's mundane life. After 6 chapters it's time to change things up a bit, don't you think?


	8. A Real, Live Boy

**-Chapter 8: A Real, Live Boy-**

Davis.

I had no idea I could feel so lethargic – so lazy. I was aware and awake, but I could not open my eyes. It was all I could do to hold on and not fall back into unconsciousness. I took in a breath, and it felt wrong; it felt _blocked_.

_Davis._

More and more feeling came back as the fog cleared in my head. I was lying down on my back in a dark room, and there was a slight pressure on my arms and chest. My throat bobbed and I sucked in another breath. I almost gagged. There was something in my mouth – something down my throat!

"Davis!"

My eyes opened fully as the _thing_ was removed from my face. It scraped and slid as it exited my mouth and I let out an involuntary gurgle. A hand pressed down lightly on my shoulder and I turned my head to stare at the silhouette standing in the room with me.

"Are you in there, buddy?" the man asked me, concern obvious in his tone. He gave my shoulder a squeeze but didn't remove the hand. I took in an unobstructed breath.

The movies, the crash, body snatching, figuring out I was _inside_ a book universe – it all flooded back into my mind and I flinched under the onslaught of information. It was nearly too much to bear, but underneath it all was a small bubble of hope that had slowly been dying since I landed in this place.

I blinked. I…blinked. Me; not my host. _Me_. I clenched my hands around the covers and curled my toes. A small laugh escaped my throat – which was scratchy and enflamed, making me want to cough – and I relaxed my muscles, just staring at the dark ceiling above me.

"Kid?" Matt questioned, shuffling a bit closer to me. I planted my elbows in the hospital bed and propped myself up. Or, at least I _tried_ to prop myself up. My muscles were so sore and out of shape. My arms shook with the effort as I inched myself up in the bed so I could get a better view.

"Matt," I whispered, causing him to immediately let out a breath I hadn't realized he was holding in. He dropped his hand and started to unplug me from the machines – ripping out the IV and removing the sensors on my chest and arms.

"Welcome back," Matt muttered playfully. "Had me going there for a second, kid." I felt myself crack a smile as he helped me to my feet.

I stood shaking, unsteady on my feet and using my arms to hold onto Matt. I took a step away from the bed and was suddenly shivering from the cold draft in the room. I reached behind my back and grasped the edges of my hospital gown.

"Shit," I cursed under my breath. "We didn't bring any clothes." I could barely see Matt's face frown as he considered my lack of clothing options. He squinted his eyes and glanced around the room, probably looking for any clothes that would fit me. But of course, there wouldn't be anything – this body was supposed to be a vegetable, why would there be clothes?

"Damn it!" Matt whisper-cursed as he ran a hand through his thin hair. He maneuvered me onto the bed in a sitting position and moved to the small window on the door, peering out into the hallway. After a moment, he walked back over to me and helped me up again. "I don't see a guard, but we're going to have to make a run for it when we get to the lobby."

I hesitated, thinking about Matt's "plan." It wasn't much of one. Sure, we could run past the receptionist and make a speedy getaway, but surely the hospital had cameras in the parking lot. Matt would eventually be arrested. My heart started beating faster in my chest and a cold chill went down my spine.

He already would be arrested.

Matt would be the last visitor in the hospital where a catatonic patient woke up and ran out of the hospital. And that's only if they didn't assume Matt was kidnapping me – which was likely to happen because Matt would have to practically half-carry me out the door.

I looked up at where the faint light disappeared over where I knew his eye's would be and gave him a nod. Matt wasn't a genius, but he wasn't stupid either. If he wanted to risk his freedom helping me get mine, I wasn't about to say no.

I slung an arm over his shoulders and he wrapped one of his around my back and helped me stand up. With less awkwardness than I thought there'd be, we opened the door and sped to the elevators. Matt shifted his weight as he repeatedly pressed the call button, frantically glancing around and looking for guards. Luckily, there were none in sight. The elevator dinged and we shuffled inside, where Matt hit the ground floor button and started to breathe hard.

"You think you can run out of the lobby by yourself?" he asked me, removing his arm from my back, but keeping it close.

"Maybe," I cringed, but put weight on my legs. I was shaky, but much sturdier than I was when I first woke up. "Yeah, I think so." Matt moved his arm down to his side and I swayed slightly as the elevator stopped. We both took deep breaths as we exited the elevator, but didn't move any further into the lobby.

The elevators were around a corner that the receptionist couldn't see around – and for that I'm grateful – but the only way out of the hospital from where we were was to walk directly in front of the desk toward the sliding glass doors. There was _no_ way she could miss us – much less miss me, with my hospital gown on and nothing else.

"OK," Matt took another breath. "I'll walk out first and start the car – it's _freezing_ outside. Can't believe I forgot to bring clothes," he started to mumble to himself. " I'll pull the car up to the doors so you can make a run for it."

I nodded and leaned against the wall, trying to conserve all the energy I could for my sprint to freedom. Matt nodded back and walked through the lobby. I suppose he was trying to look nonchalant, but his calm stride through the lobby was interrupted by his unwavering gaze, which was locked on the doors that led outside. I couldn't risk a look around the corner to see if the receptionist suspected anything, but no alarms were sounded and everything seemed OK, so I stayed put.

The doors opened for Matt and he walked through. A bone-chilling breeze swept through the lobby and reached my hiding place by the elevators, ruffling my gown and the fake-looking plants that surrounded the otherwise-bleak-looking area.

I heard the distant starting of an engine and saw the quick swipe of headlights as the car angled and moved out of the parking spot. I pushed off from the wall gently and flexed my muscles. I would not fall. I would _not_ fall. I repeated the mantra in my head as my heartbeat thudded in my ears. And then suddenly, the car was there in front of the doors and I was running.

I didn't look at the receptionist and I only slowed down to allow the automatic doors to open wide enough for me to slip through. The doors opened wider as I was running over the ice-cold concrete, barefoot. I heard a thumping sound, and rapid movement from behind me.

It wasn't the time or place for laughing, but as I was nearly to the car, I smiled. I had to be a sight: a patient sprinting toward the exit, hospital gown exposing his bare ass for the entire world to see.

"What the…Hey!" The receptionist shouted. I still didn't look back. On numb feet and shaking knees I opened the car door and threw myself inside. The car took off and the momentum closed the door before I had a chance to.

Neither of us said anything for several minutes as we drove down the highway and away from the hospital. Matt would check his mirrors every few minutes and I would tell him to slow down – he would gradually speed up until I scolded him. It was a tense ride, that's for sure.

After fifteen minutes of silence – thankfully without the dreaded red and blue police lights in our rearview mirror – we both seemed to relax. We weren't home free, but with every mile we put between us and the scene of the crime, we relaxed further into our seats. I took to staring out the window and looking at the glowing lights of stores and restaurants pass us by as we sped on. We pulled into a Walmart and I glanced at Matt, cocking an eyebrow.

"We need to get you some clothes and some food," Matt told me. "Uh…you should probably stay here."

I snorted and gave him the are-you-fucking-kidding-me look. Matt's eyes flickered to my bare-assed hospital gown and he smirked slightly, though I could tell he put in a solid effort to conceal it from me. He nodded and got out of the car, slamming the door and walking toward the building.

I put my hands under my legs, trying to keep warm in the seemingly arctic temperatures of western Missouri. I let out a sigh and grimaced when I could see my breath. I really should have asked Matt to leave me the keys so I could run the car's heater.

I must have zoned out, because I didn't feel Matt's pulse or see him coming when the driver's door was abruptly opened and even more frigid air seeped into the inside of the car. My teeth chattered as Matt handed me a plastic bag full of clothes and placed another one in the back seat. He also handed me a bag of chips and a bottle of water. I put the water in the cup holder and the chips on the dashboard.

"You'll have to change here," Matt said. "Can't have anyone seeing you running into a bathroom dressed in a hospital gown." Matt chuckled lowly, but I could see the dark circles building up under his eyes from the exhaustion. I would be glad when I could get out of Matt's hair and leave him to his own, normal problems. I just hoped he didn't get into too much trouble for 'kidnapping' me.

"Thanks," I said in a shaky voice as I opened the bag. I pulled out the contents and dumped them on my lap, pursing my lips at the selection.

I had been expecting some jeans, a t-shirt, and some socks and shoes. Instead, there was a pair of dark grey sweats, moccasin-style brown slippers, and a Batman t-shirt. It looked like what I would imagine an unemployed bum would wear around the house on a Sunday. Then again, even _I_ didn't know my new size for clothing, and these were probably cheaper than normal-people clothes. At least the t-shirt was acceptable.

"I'll just…" Matt gestured behind him and leaned out of the car and closed the door. He turned around and put his back to the window. I supposed this was my que to get dressed. After the awkward in-car dressing, I tapped on the window to get Matt's attention. He opened the door and got inside with me.

"Thanks for doing this, Matt," I said softly.

"Yeah," Matt said, looking out the windshield. He started the car up and drove toward the highway. "Let's get you to your vampire buddies." His words startled me and it took me a moment to recover from my shock. I nodded to him to let him know I agreed, then went back to staring out of the side window.

The reality of it all – if you could call it that – hit me in a different way this time. I thought I had accepted my strange situation of living inside the world that only existed inside a book series, but I found my mind slipping in its grasp. The gas station we passed looked no different than the ones in my world. Walmart, the car I was in, the clothes I was wearing – they all seemed so similar to their counterparts in my own world.

_Everything_ seemed so similar that I found myself doubting that vampires even existed here – that the Cullens and Volturi and Quileute wolves lived and breathed the same air I was breathing. The world outside the glass window didn't seem any more sinister or monstrous than the world I came from, and that – I think – scared me more than any difference could.

I glanced down at my hands and flexed my fingers. It was then that the reason for my disbelief reached me. Before, when I was nothing more than a mental hitchhiker, _everything_ was surreal and distorted by my backseat perception. But now, with no other presence inside my mind – with _me_ driving – I was forced to wake up and accept that this was no dream. I was here.

It was real.

* * *

**End notes:** I got this chapter done sooner than I expected. I had planned on skipping this chapter completely and just having a sort of flashback to his escape, after all, it's been 7 (now 8) chapters without any actual _Twilight_ characters showing up. But it didn't flow right - it seemed rushed - and it felt needed to have Davis have this last interaction with Matt.

And indeed, it will be the last real-time interaction with Matt. The next chapter will probably start up with Davis on his way to Seattle, so stay tuned.


	9. Welcome to Forks

**-Chapter 9: Welcome to Forks-**

It was a bit odd at how the scenery so abruptly changed. The Midwest looked much the same, gradually growing into more rugged terrain as I headed North West toward Washington State. And then, abruptly, it was completely different.

Bella had it right in the books; it did look like an alien planet. The trip up here had been a long one, my time filled watching movie after movie through too-small overhanging screens. I would sometimes drift off, though, and think of all I had left behind in Missouri. I wasn't sure how he managed to hide it from me when I basically saw everything he saw, but Matt gave me a parting gift when we had to say goodbye: $500 cash and a one way Greyhound bus ticket to Port Angeles (unfortunately, the bus route didn't go to Forks, so I'd have to get a cab from there).

The saying goodbye to Matt part was a little awkward, I remembered. We had only just met, but those few days inside Matt's head allowed me to truly get to know him in a way I had never known my other friends. I would miss him, but I made a silent promise that I wouldn't bother him anymore. I hoped the police hadn't arrested him.

My lengthy ride was also filled thinking – and then obsessing – over two other subjects.

The first was my new, more mentally-private, body. After leaving the hospital, during our scramble to avoid the police catching up with us, I hadn't had a lot of time to _really_ take in what I had done. The body I was in was practically perfect, aside from the weak muscles from lying in a bed for so long. There were no aching bones or deformities, my vision was good – better than I had in my reality – and my mental processes seemed to be running smoother than they had in Matt's body.

That was the issue, though; that _shouldn't_ be the case. This body was brain dead when I entered it, relying completely on the machines in the hospital to remain alive. It didn't make any sense to me exactly _how_ transferring my consciousness, soul, _whatever_ into Emil's body would magically allow his body to function. By all rights, I should be stuck in the dark of his mind right now, drooling and immobile back in Kansas City.

The thoughts would circle and cycle, never getting anywhere. After all, I was in a world of vampires, shape shifters, and werewolves, so how much logic could I really apply to my situation? Reluctantly, and with effort, I had decided to file the problem away for me to deal with later, hopefully with some supernatural assistance.

And so we bridged into my second thought spiral: vampires – or, the Cullens, more specifically. Well, really it was two separate issues. The first was really a minor one: which universe did I fall into? The books and movies are both very similar – both have relatively the same ending and follow the same approximate path to get there, but there are minor differences between the two that made my mind turn into a pretzel as I thought about it.

If this was the movie universe, did all the 'characters' resemble the actors and actresses that portrayed them? If so, did their respective actors even exist here? What about Victoria? In the films, she's played by one actress during the first two movies, but a different one in the third. How would that work out when the characters were _real_?

OK, so maybe the first Cullen issue wasn't so simple. I had decided to file that one away as well and just assume this was the book universe. It was much simpler that way. In any case, it wasn't something that would really affect me.

The real problem was I had no clue what I was supposed to do now that I was in some sort of fantasy world.

I had read my fair share of _Twilight_ fanfiction after the books ran out of words for me to read. I wasn't much into the sappy stuff as I was into the real, substantial, and intriguing storylines. Sort of the "what-if," alternate universe stuff. Among them was a subsection of not-often-written _Meta-Twilight_ fanfiction. Well, most of the time it was labeled as "OMG I'M IN THE BOOK," but the premise was the same.

Real-life person from our world is sucked into the _Twilight_ universe, and gets to play around in the sandbox as they interact – and most of the time fall in love – with some of the characters from the books. Sometimes the plot would deviate substantially from the original, and sometimes the 'traveler' would be placed in Bella's place instead. And like all fanfictions, some were good and some were bad.

But the one thing they had in common was direction. The 'traveler' was usually placed somewhere near the characters, and it was almost always during a crucial point in the story – if it wasn't at the very beginning. Me, though, I had no idea what I was doing in this world.

I had checked the date after I realized where I was – November of 2012, the same as my world. There was nothing to do here. If I was in book universe, _Breaking Dawn_ had ended, what, six years ago? The last movie had just come out, obviously, so there was also nothing to do if this was the movie 'verse, either. My musings finally came to an end as the bus stopped and I was notified that this was Port Angeles, my stop.

Honestly, I hadn't expected it would be so easy to hire a taxi to take me to Forks. Port Angeles wasn't as big as Washington, and yet the taxi yard was very nearly across the street from where the bus dropped me off. Perhaps it was that I had never gotten off a bus in Washington before, so I never had the chance to find a taxi.

It was a small company, though, and when I asked for a cab ride to Forks, the only guy in the small building besides the desk clerk – that I could see, anyway – nodded and motioned for me to follow him to his taxi. The elderly driver gave my outfit an odd look, but didn't comment on it. The ride was rather short compared to the bus-switching marathon I had been on for over twenty four hours, and was cheaper than I thought it would be – only $85.

When I finally reached Forks, my stomach was in knots and I had trouble breathing. I had decided to try my luck going to Charlie Swan's house to try to get some information on where the Cullens were living. It would be easier, faster, and more reliable than asking anyone else in town where the elusive family lived. I looked up into the dark cloudy sky as I stood on the abandoned sidewalk, idly wondering what time it was – and even what day it was. I had lost track during the long ride here.

I walked down the sidewalk to the nearest building that was illuminated – a small diner – with my arms wrapped around my chest, trying to fight off the oppressive chill. I _really_ needed to pick up a jacket. The bell rang as I pushed open the door, causing the three customers and single waitress to glance over at me. Some had looks of curiosity on their face and some seemed uninterested in me – the new kid, dressed in sweats and a t-shirt in the late fall weather. I smiled slightly and waited for the waitress to come over to me.

"Hi, I'm Jessica," the waitress introduced herself in an excited voice that seemed rehearsed. "Would you like a booth or a table?" She asked, holding the menus to her chest and waiting for me to respond.

"Actually," I said, putting a concerned look on my face. "I was hoping you could help me out. I'm new in town and I need to find someone."

The woman looked uncomfortable, and glanced over her shoulder toward the kitchen. Instantly, I felt a little horrible for asking her questions without ordering something. I mean, that's what they did in the movies, right? You would order a cup of coffee and ask the waiter where you could find someone as they brought your order to you.

"You know what?" I started. "I'll take whatever's open." The tension went out of her body and I had to wonder if she was so afraid of her boss or what.

"Sure," She said, her voice and expressions back to her faux-perky self. "Follow me." She led me to a table by the window and took out her pad of paper and a pencil. I internally grimaced. I had no intention of ordering coffee. Brian was a big coffee drinker – he would drink it before school and at night, and everywhere in between. It was just _bad_ to me.

"I'll have a Coke, please," I said. She wrote it down and nodded to me, tucking the pad and pencil away.

"I'll have that right out," she said, walking back to the kitchen.

A clock caught my attention, hanging over the bar and cash register – 7:34, it read. No wonder nobody was out and about. It was kind of lucky for me, too, as it was late enough for Charlie to be off work, but not so late that he would be in bed. I craned my neck in the other direction and took a look out of the window.

It was darker than when I had entered, so I couldn't see much outside. The window functioned as a mirror, and I got another look at my new face. I felt the urge to look away as my instincts screamed _that isn't me!_ I shook my head and looked harder, taking in every detail of my new self. I scrunched my eyebrows together as I looked into my reflection's eyes. They were a dull color – I think they were green, but I couldn't be sure as it was difficult to determine through a window. They weren't the brilliant blue eyes I had in my original body.

A glass of Coke appeared before me and I looked up at the waitress, who once again had her pad of paper out, ready to take my food order.

"What can I get you?" She asked, her eyes flickering to the table top and back to my eyes. I glanced down and realized I hadn't even noticed the menu she had placed in front of me. I considered telling her I had only come in here looking for Chief Swan, but my stomach rumbled, so I decided a quick burger couldn't hurt.

"Cheeseburger," I said, handing the menu back to the woman. "Mayo on the side, no extras." She scribbled it down and turned to walk away, when I stopped her. "Excuse me," I called. She turned back, here eyebrows raised, expecting an amendment to my order, I'm sure. "Like I said, I'm looking for someone; Charlie Swan – I believe he's the police chief. Could you point me in the direction of his house?"

It took her a moment to process what I said, and after she did her eyes narrowed slightly. She put on a frown and cocked her head to the side, pausing for a moment. "What do you want with Chief Swan?" she asked. It came out slightly suspicious, and by all rights it _was_ suspicious. A drifter comes into town looking for the sheriff – it was like something out of a western.

"I'm trying to find…my brother," I blurted out, hoping she didn't recognize my on-the-spot lie. Then again, it wasn't such a lie – I _was_ trying to get home and find my brother. "I was hoping he could help me out." I schooled my face and held my breath, hoping she believed me. She let out a sigh and squinted out of the reflective window, trying to see out into the darkness.

"Two blocks away from the diner, down the road about a fourth of a mile," Jessica said, tucking the pad of paper with my order into her pocket again. "It's pretty isolated – no houses on either side – you can't miss it."

"Thanks," I said. Jessica nodded and walked away as I scooted my drink closer and took a sip.

* * *

By the time I left the diner, it was nearly 8:00 and was completely dark outside. I decided to jog there, since it was so cold out and I had completely forgotten to buy a jacket. The blocks flew by and I made good time as I jogged up to the illuminated house, breathing hard. The shades were pulled over the windows, but the flashing and moving lights from the TV could be seen through the fabric. I smiled at the police cruiser in the driveway, even as the butterflies in my stomach made me want to throw up.

Almost instinctively now, I searched out with my mind, trying to get a grasp of the number of people inside. The weak pulsing of a single person echoed back, and I wondered where Sue was. In the books, it was implied that Charlie and Sue were to be a couple. I remembered talking to her on the phone – or rather, listening to Matt talk to her on the phone – but it didn't look like she was here now.

I was about to meet Charlie Swan. The abrupt thought sent a bolt of fear and excitement through me.

I walked up the steps of the porch and rapped on the door, taking a step back and listening inside as the TV was muted and furniture squeaked. The door opened to reveal a middle aged man, about my body's height, with curly brown hair and a moustache. He didn't have his uniform on, and was instead dressed in a button down t-shirt and jeans. He had a small gut on him, and I couldn't recall if – in the books – he had one. One thing was for sure: this was _not_ Billy Burke, so I had to assume I was, in fact, stuck in the book universe after all.

Charlie took in my lack-of-coat clothing choice and raised his eyebrows nearly into his receding hairline. I shivered and held both of my arms to my chest, denying the urge to push past the man and enter the warm house. I steeled my resolve and swallowed, preparing to introduce myself.

"Charlie Swan?" I asked, even though I already knew.

"Yeah," he grunted, not offering anything else. His eyes narrowed in suspicion and I could almost _feel_ the cop in him giving me the shake down.

"I'm Davis Marks," I said. "And I'm kind of in an insane situation." I internally grimaced at my word choice. "Umm…would you mind if I asked you a few questions?" I swallowed again, completely nervous and half expecting him to turn me away.

His eyes flickered over my body again before looking to the street – probably wondering how I got here. He signed and opened the door wider, jerking his head and motioning me to come inside. I gave him a small smile and moved past him and into the warm house.

It was a very cozy kind of house, with everything close together without seeming cramped. I had always been accustomed to houses of this build carrying the lingering cigarette smoke smell, and was relieved that Charlie didn't smoke. While I was almost completely distracted taking in his house, I saw him grab his gun off the hook in the kitchen out of the corner of my eye. For some reason, I think he _wanted_ me to see that.

"So, Davis," Charlie sat down in one of the chairs in the kitchen and motioned me to take one as well. "What kind of trouble are you in?" My eyes widened as I took the offered seat, but I quickly caught onto his meaning. Of course coming to the Police Chief and telling him you're in an 'impossible' situation would make him think I was in trouble. In a way, I suppose I was, but not _immediate_ trouble. I just wanted some answers – just wanted to get back home where I actually existed.

I opened my mouth to answer, but then closed it when I couldn't think of anything to say. How would I word this?

_Hey, I am from a different universe and need to see your vampire brother-in-law to see if he can help me home_?

That wouldn't go over so well. Maybe I could just get the Cullen's location out of him?

"You probably wouldn't believe me," I shook my head and stared down at the table top. "It's kind of _out there_. What I really need to know is where to find Dr. Cullen – or even his phone number, really." I looked up at Charlie and froze. His already-pale face seemed paler and he seemed to be staring through my head, not really looking at me at all. I shifted in my seat and his gaze focused on me again, his expression shifting to one of absolute suspicion and…aggression?

"And why would you need to talk to him? What's this about, son?" Charlie leaned forward in a position I had seen all too many times on the many procedural cop shows that were on TV.

"I-I just," I stuttered. "I need some help…_dealing_ with something _I_ don't even understand, and…and he's the only one I can think of who could help." His eyes squinted together as he leaned back in his chair. I breathed a small breathe of relief as he relaxed his interrogation-like stare.

"It was you who called, wasn't it?" Charlie asked, though it seemed more of an accusation. "Almost a week ago; it was you." I opened my mouth and closed it again, gaping like a fish.

"No!" I said louder than I intended. "It was…a friend. I just had to make sure-" I cut off the sentence. How could I explain this to a character who didn't know the full story? Bella and the others went to great lengths to ensure Charlie didn't know the full story, so how in the world could I tell him – convince him – I was who I said I was without spilling the beans about vampires?

"The wolves!" I said, before my mental filter could warn me that it was a bad idea to bring up the shape shifters. My mouth snapped shut, but the damage was done, I could see it in his eyes. I didn't have to be psychic to predict the next words out of his mouth.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Charlie said, his voice was monotone. "But I think it's best if you leave."

I nodded slowly, and inched out of the chair I was sitting it. With considerable effort, I shuffled toward the door that would lead me into the cold again, and I wondered where I would go next – and how I would survive the night without freezing to death. Maybe I could go by Newton Outfitters to get a coat – I chuckled at the thought. As my hand reached the doorknob, the phone rang. I opened the door and stepped outside, flinching from the sheer cold. Was it this cold before?

"Hello?" Charlie answered the phone as I closed the door. I decided to forgo all dignity and childishly pulled my arms into my shirt, holding them against my bare chest to try to conserve my heat. I stood on the porch for a few seconds – maybe minutes – just aimlessly watching the trees on the other side of the street. I blew out a breath and cringed at how, even in the near-darkness, I could still make out the visible fog as it left my mouth.

The door suddenly opened behind me before I could move off the porch, causing me to flinch away. I turned around, frantically pulling my arms out of my shirt and trying my best to look like the cold wasn't getting to me. Charlie didn't seem to notice, though, and motioned me to come inside again. I furrowed my brows, trying to figure out what could make him change his mind. Did he suddenly realize he sent me out into the cold, at night, without a jacket or coat?

I followed him in again and, once again, sat down in the seat in the kitchen. He didn't sit down, though. Instead, he handed me the cordless phone and let out a grunt. "She wants to talk to you," he said. I hesitantly reached for the phone, and was surprised when Charlie turned around and went into the living room, leaving me all alone in his kitchen. I looked at the buttons on the phone, trying to figure out who was calling me. Was it Lori?

"Hello?" I said into the receiver once I placed it to my ear.

"Who are you and how do you know the things you do?" a sharp voice questioned. It was melodic, as Bella had written, but I couldn't find any similarity to a wind chime. This was a vampire, and by the coincidental timing it was a rather short vampire.

"Alice?" I questioned into the phone. It made perfect sense now that I thought about it. She would have seen me coming here and talking to Charlie, and I – or Charlie – must have made a decision that triggered one of her visions. I _had_ briefly considered bringing up the fact the Cullens were vampires. It was a fleeting thought, no doubt – barely a brainstorm – but apparently she had caught it. "My name is Davis Marks."

There was a pause on the line. No breathing or background noise of any kind – only the soft crackling of the phone connection let me know the call hadn't been dropped.

"Just how much do you know, Davis?" Her voice was quieter now. Not quite soft, but it had lost some of the harshness from before.

"I know enough to know Carlisle is my best bet at understanding my…problem," I all but whispered into the receiver. It's not like I could say 'I know you're vampires' over the phone.

"What do you want?" Alice asked. I let out a short laugh into the phone before I could censor myself. What I wanted was to go home and to have my body back. I wanted my brother to be alive – hell, _I_ wanted to be alive.

"I need his…opinion on something. I can't tell you why I need to talk to him yet. You'll just think I'm crazy – even if you're good with crazy. This is like a whole new level of strange." I stopped talking when I realized it was starting to sound like paranoid rambling.

"We're in Alaska," she said. I could hear the faint voices of others in the background as she paused. "I'll be at the hospital on Ward Street in Seattle tomorrow at 8:00 PM to pick you up." The way she said it, I got the feeling it wasn't negotiable if I went with her or not. I nodded into the phone before realizing it was a phone and she couldn't see me.

"OK," I said, my mouth suddenly very dry.

"Put Charlie back on the phone," she said. Without a reply, I stood and walked into the living room. The TV was on and Charlie was sitting in the recliner, but he was watching me instead of the screen. I handed him the phone and took a seat as far away from him as I could.

I just hoped I was making the right decision in involving the Cullens in my displacement problems.

* * *

**End notes:** There you have it, the plot is moving forward!

Some trivia: The body that Davis is currently in is a nod toward my all-time favorite Spider-Man anti-hero: Venom (Eddie Brock, E. Brock, Emil Brock). The title, _Symbiosis_, is also relevant, as it is a symbiotic lifeform that gives Eddie his powers, as is Anne Weying (Emil's guardian).

Emil's backstory is also set up to be something of a Alternate Universe tie-in with my other story, _Unstoppable Force_, where Emily took over the company, _Brock Labs_, after that unfortunate accident that left Emil's parents dead and him in a vegetative state.


	10. The Fourth Wall

**-Chapter 10: The Fourth Wall-**

Charlie didn't talk to me much. I suppose I was spoiled to his apparent character, reading the books from Bella's point of view. I had assumed he would eventually start to talk about something – anything – but he remained quiet, only speaking when I asked him something or when it was otherwise necessary. It was a sort of cold and distant quiet, as well, so I didn't break the silence often.

After Alice's call, Charlie had allowed me to stay at his house until it was time for me to leave and meet with Alice. I was thankful for the hospitality – though I suspected Alice was the one who convinced him – as well as the shower and clothes. Charlie had given me an old rain jacket since I didn't have one. It wasn't very warm, but it kept the wind from chilling me and added an extra layer as well. I didn't sleep in Bella's old room, though – I didn't even get to see it. Charlie laid out a sheet on the couch and allowed me to sleep there for the night.

Charlie woke me up before he left for the day, telling me he would allow me to stay here until he got off work – a few hours early today – so he could drive me to Seattle. I was honestly surprised at this gesture – not only offering to drive me all the way to Seattle, but also letting me, a stranger, stay in his house while he was away.

After he left, I switched on the TV and watched whatever was on. I didn't dare go up to the second floor, even though I _was_ kind of curious to see what Bella's room looked like. I didn't, though, because although Charlie didn't expressly say "don't go upstairs," the stern look he gave me before he left pretty much implied it. And so, I stayed in the living room for most of the day, only leaving to use the restroom and to take in the pizza I had ordered for lunch.

At 3:00, Charlie came home and showered. And that was that, we went to his cruiser and we started the drive toward Seattle, which is where I was now.

It was a long trip – though not as long as the one from Missouri to Washington State. In the books, it never felt like such a great distance to travel – especially in the third, with the whole 'newborn army' thing happening. But it _wasn't_ close – it was almost a 4-hour drive. An hour into the drive I had switched the radio to a classic rock station, hoping that Charlie wouldn't mind. Luckily he didn't.

It was 7:30 when we finally pulled up to the hospital parking lot. The lot was mostly abandoned, save for the small number of fancy cars that probably belonged to doctors. When the cruiser pulled to a stop, I opened the door and stepped out, felling a bit strange for not having anything with me to carry after the long car ride. I took a deep breath and bent down to peer back inside the car.

"Thanks for the ride, Chief Swan," I said, smiling awkwardly.

"You're welcome," Charlie said instead of his customary nod. I nodded back to him anyway and closed the door, stepping back so he could drive away.

I still had half an hour until Alice got here, so I zipped up my newly acquired jacket and sat down on one of the parking lot light's concrete bases. Once again, I found myself doubting my choice in seeking the Cullens for help. The chances were slim that they would know anything about what had happened to me – if they even believed me – but for the life of me, I couldn't think of another group to go to.

Well, that wasn't true. I had considered going to the Volturi once I had realized I was trapped in this world, if only because I actually _knew_ where to find them. I knew how horrible and evil they were from the books, but I also knew Aro loved puzzles and rarities. I was both of those.

But, I could never go there now. Not even if the Cullens turned me down. Unknowingly, I had revealed the existence of vampires to two humans in this world, and I would not be the cause of their deaths. Matt didn't deserve that after helping me – he deserved a reward, not death. If there truly was no solution or way back to my world – if I was to be stuck here for the rest of my life – then I would make peace with that and leave Matt to live his life without any other supernatural influences.

It was about then, when I was wrapping up my thoughts on the Volturi when I felt it.

It was a warmth; a pulse like I had felt with all other people – and yet it seemed so different. It was…concentrated; brighter? It was just _more_. My body turned automatically, and I caught sight of the bright-yellow Porsche that had just zoomed into my line of sight. My eyes widened as it grew near. There wasn't one pulse; there were two.

The car skidded to a halt in the round about that was a part of the hospital parking lot about twenty yards ahead of me. My lungs ached as two figures exited the yellow vehicle, and I let out a forced breath; I hadn't even realized I wasn't breathing. My heart was thudding away from both fear and excitement, pounding in my temples and distracting me from the frigid air that still attacked me through my jacket.

The figures moved closer, and as they moved under a street lamp I finally got a clear image of what they looked like.

The first one was so obviously Alice, from how she was described in the books. She was short – much shorter than the movies made her out to be – and her haphazard haircut reminded me of that static ball at the St. Louis Science Center that would make all the hair on your head stand on end. The second figure was much taller than Alice, and had wavy, blond hair that obscured part of his face. I was almost positive this was Jasper.

They _did_ move with grace and a strange fluidity that wasn't displayed at all in the movies, but the most shocking thing was their apparent ages. While I was reading the books, I, of course, drew a mental picture of each character in my mind. The books were descriptive enough for me to get a pretty solid image, but the one thing that threw me was their physical ages.

Maybe it was the cast from the movies that threw me off, or maybe it was just the character-to-actor age difference that was all too common on TV. You would see it all the time: a twenty five year old playing a high school student and seventeen year olds playing the thirteen year olds. It was a trend that was difficult to grasp or pay attention to, because it seemed like every TV show was doing it.

But these people – these vampires – actually looked like high school students. Well, at least Jasper did. Alice looked much younger than I knew she was, and it was immediately apparent why she always played the part of one of the younger siblings. She was so tiny that it disarmed me momentarily, and it took my brain a moment to process that this apparent sixteen year old girl was a vicious killing machine.

"Davis?" Alice asked, though it sounded more like an introduction or a hello than an actual question.

"Alice and Jasper," I replied, nodding at each of them. Alice gave a slight nod back while Jasper's eyes narrowed. A small spike of fear shot through me as I realized I had shown off my seemingly-all-knowing omniscience to the blond fighter, who didn't seem to like being in the dark in regards to information. I swallowed as I realized he had probably come with Alice because he considered me a potential threat.

He would kill me if I even _looked_ wrong at Alice. It wasn't a psychic premonition or an educated guess – it was in his piercing gaze and protective stance. I looked at the ground before I could do any more damage to my chances of living through the trip, only watching them through my peripherals.

I wasn't the mate of one of their family. I was a human that knew _way_ too much, and I got the instinctual feeling that it was only Carlisle's will that kept Jasper from killing me like he wanted to do to Bella at the beginning.

"Let's get going," Alice said, giving Jasper a glance before turning around and heading back to the car. Jasper didn't move from his spot; he only motioned me to follow Alice, and I complied, walking past the menacing vampire. I assumed he was following after me, but I couldn't hear his footsteps and I didn't dare turn around.

Alice waited by the driver's side, her door open, as I reached for the back-seat door handle. Jasper appeared to my right, opening his door, and I jumped slightly. I entered the Porsche quickly and shut my door. I reached for the seatbelt out of habit, but decided not to bother. Alice could see the future and had supernatural reflexes – there was a very slim chance she would crash.

"Where's your stuff?" Alice asked me, turning around in her seat to look at me.

"I don't have any," I answered, not sure how to exactly explain I didn't even come here with a body of my own. Alice's face contorted in a grimace I'd never seen before, then morphed into a mega-watt smile, displaying her white teeth. Her character was so predictable in the books, so it didn't take a genius to figure out Alice wanted to shop for me. "Go nuts," I sighed. Instead of getting more excited at my permission, she seemed to frown.

"How did you-," Alice started to say before pausing and turning around. I could still see the confused side of her face from the backseat.

"I'll explain it all to everyone when we get there," I promised. Alice nodded and seemed to accept that answer.

With effort, I relaxed into the comfy back seat and attempted to sleep as much of the next twenty or so hours away as I could.

* * *

I re-entered the car with my bottle of water and granola bar, shutting the door and pressing into the back of my seat as the car lurched forward and sped out onto the highway. This was our last stop before we reached their home.

I wish I could say I spent the car ride getting to know the two vampires I had read about, but then I would be lying. To be honest, Jasper scared the shit out of me. Couple with that the distracting pulses that were rippling off the two Cullens with enormous power, and it turned into one strange and uncomfortable ride when I wasn't sleeping. Which I tried to do as much as I could.

Originally, when I was back in my world and reading the books, I had thought Denali – if that's indeed where we were headed – was a city or town. It wasn't. It was a national park, with nothing but woods and mountains capped with snow. A single road wove in and out of the isolated wilderness, away from any artificial light or cityscape.

Suddenly, Alice turned off the main road and headed down what looked to be an extremely small trail through the forest. The tree branches and intermittent rocks and boulders came within inches of the car as it maneuvered through the path. We continued on like this for over half an hour before the forest opened up and we came to an enormous house.

Well, it was more of an enormous _cabin_ than an enormous house. The structure was built from logs and it reminded me of those old camping cabins you would see in horror movies – only much, much bigger. The atmosphere wasn't sinister, though, regardless of its vampire inhabitants. It looked open and inviting with the wide windows on each of its three stories and the porch that wrapped around the front.

The car stopped and I gathered my trash and exited the vehicle, following the two vampires up to the porch. I was somewhat grateful for the chilled wind, even though I was shivering. I was sure I smelled a little bad from going almost 24 hours in a car without a shower and I hoped some of the potential smell would drift off me – I remembered how sensitive a vampire's senses were supposed to be.

The front door opened and a man and woman exited it and stopped on the porch. If I hadn't met Alice and Jasper first, I might have assumed that the female was Bella. But she looked too old – twenty three or twenty four. I could tell they were a couple, though, and since the male had even lighter hair than Jasper and wasn't a hulking blob of muscles, it was safe to assume this was Carlisle and Esme. They looked curiously at me as I approached, with no hint of malice, and I relaxed an inch.

Like before, the too-strong pulse emanated from the two vampires, and I had to put my hand on my leg to make sure _I_ wasn't vibrating with so much energy nearby. My thoughts were interrupted, though, as I realized there weren't any other pulses in the house. I could only feel the four warm spots instead of the ocean of them I had been expecting.

"Davis Marks, I presume?" Carlisle asked as I moved onto the porch. I nodded, but he must have seen the expression on my face, which – I assume – was one of confusion or contemplation as I continued to search for the missing family memebers. "Is something the matter?" he asked me.

"Sorry," I shook my head. "And yes, I'm Davis. You must be Carlisle and Esme?" I was certain of who they were, but my voice came out as a question.

"Yes," Carlisle answered, gesturing to the open door behind him. "Please, come in." I nodded and entered ahead of the group, slowing down and allowing Carlisle to overtake me and lead the way to wherever he wanted to talk.

He led me to a sitting room of some sort. It was quite large, with various chairs, couches, and loveseats along the walls. Hanging on the wall was an enormous TV – it must have been over 70 inches – which took me a moment to get over before I took a seat across from Carlisle, who was already sitting in the loveseat with Esme. Alice and Jasper trickled in as well, the former taking a seat a few feet to the right of mine, while the latter opted to stand against the doorframe.

"Alice told me you needed my help?" Carlisle asked. I laughed a short laugh, relaxing into the seat I was sitting in. Carlisle scrunched his eyebrows together while Esme looked somewhat worried.

"Yeah," I said as I drug my hand through my hair, cringing slightly from the difference in texture to my original body's. "Though I have to tell you. It is just…well I'm not sure you'll believe me."

"Alice told us you knew things – specific things – about the Quileute tribe and my family," Carlisle replied. It was kind of another topic all together, but I could see what he was trying to imply. If I knew about _their_ strangeness, I should feel more comfortable expressing my own.

"It's completely-" I started. "I honestly don't think you'll be able to help much, but I just didn't know where else to go. I know you're used to strange things, what with the shape shifters and you guys being vampires." A gasp left someone's mouth, but I was staring at the floor as I continued to speak and only paused for a moment. "It's just…this is-this situation is just so…" I realized I was beating around the bush, not really explaining my problem, but how was I supposed to begin to explain that they were fictional characters?

"Let's start there," Carlisle said, seeming to know I had run out of steam on my explanation. "How did you come to find out about our family?"

"No," I said immediately, tilting my head up and thinking. "Anyone could have known – everyone does – that's not really the problem. I mean, I see how it's a problem for _you_, but…" I cringed at my babble mouth that didn't even make sense to me.

"Forgive me, but you're not making sense," his face looked apologetic, as though he hated to tell me what I already knew. I shook my head and took a deep breath.

"I'm not from this place," I started slowly. "I don't mean Alaska or North America or anything like that. I'm not from this…world?" the word came out as a question again. I _thought_ I was on the right track, though.

"Earth?" Carlisle questioned, eyeing me skeptically and as though I was crazy.

"No!" I said immediately. "I'm from Earth; just not _this_ one. Where I'm from…and please believe me, because it is the absolute truth. Where I'm from you and your family – and the shape shifters, the Volturi, and vampires in general – don't exist. It's all fake where I'm from – all part of a book series."

"You think my family and myself are a part of a book series?" Carlisle questioned, his expression wasn't skeptical anymore, but I couldn't place the look.

"I _know_ you're from a book series," I countered, then decided to convince them. "I know all about your family from those books. Edward Mason was the first one you changed; then Esme Platt, Rosalie Hale, Emmet Mc…I can't remember his last name. McCarty?" I shook my head, then continued. "Mary Alice Brandon and Jasper Whitlock joined you later. Edward and Bella had a hybrid child named Renesmee, which caused the Volturi to almost kill your entire family because they thought she was an 'immortal child.'" I took a deep breath when I was finished and looked around the room.

Dead silence.

* * *

**End notes:** There you go, the first meeting with the Cullens.

I am very glad all of the traveling scenes are done with. Those are kind of difficult to write without adding a time break (which I did). It just feels a bit disjointed to me - rushed, maybe.

I've also decided that I am going to try my hand at writing a fanfiction that doesn't involve an original character after this and _Unstoppable Force_ are finished. It's always felt a bit strange to me, trying to tell a story from an already-established-character's point of view, but I'll try it out and see how it goes.


	11. Even The Vampires Think I'm Strange

**-Chapter 11: Even The Vampires Think I'm Strange-**

Esme was frozen in her seat and Carlisle wasn't fairing much better – though his mouth opened and closed slightly, like a fish. I glanced to my right, eyeing Alice and Jasper. Alice mirrored Carlisle and Esme's looks, sitting frozen in her seat and staring at nothing. Jasper, though, was glaring at me with the intensity of a laser beam. It wasn't _hate_, I would guess, but more of extreme suspicion and distrust. I looked away quickly.

"I can't tell," Jasper said quietly, though his voice was anything but soft. I looked at Jasper quickly, who was still watching me. My head swiveled to Carlisle, who had come out of his stupor and was frowning at Jasper. "I got small bits and pieces of fear and excitement from him on the ride here, but for the most part he's emotionless." Jasper's voice almost seemed disbelieving.

"You mean," I started, drawing all the eyes in the room to me once again. "You can't use your power on me?" I could feel my eyebrows scrunching together on my face.

"You know of our abilities as well?" Carlisle asked. I nodded.

"Jasper is an empath," I said. "Alice can see the future, Edward can read minds, Bella has a mental shield, and Renesmee can put thoughts in your head with a touch." I swallowed and glared at the floor again, tracing the wooden panels with my eyes to keep from meeting their stares.

"This is…" Carlisle trailed off, sounding awed.

"Weird?" I interjected, cracking a small smile. "It's all true, though. I mean, you can quiz me if you'd like. I remember most of the books, though it's been a few years since I've read them all so I may not remember the small details." I mentally started arranging the timeline that I remembered from the books, trying to remember what happened in which one.

Alice was frowning as she looked at me, and I opened my mouth to ask her what was wrong when the force of five or so pulses – just as strong as the ones the vampires in this room emitted – moved into my range to the left of the house. My muscles constricted as I felt the pull toward the gentle warmth that was growing stronger and stronger, and I looked at the wall – or, through the wall – where I felt it coming from.

"Davis?" Carlisle questioned, drawing my eyes to him again. He tilted his head and his eyebrows rose in surprise. "How did you know-" but he was interrupted by an enormous blur that suddenly occupied the space between the doorframe. The large man before me could only be Emmett, with his tree trunk arms and mile-wide grin.

"A real life alien!" Emmett's voice boomed, making me wonder just how loud it was to vampires with super-hearing – it hurt even my human ears. Then I processed exactly what he had called me and grimaced. It was an apt description, I supposed, but I didn't exactly _feel_ like an alien. I didn't look any different than the people of this universe.

Emmett stumbled forward as someone pushed him from behind, and he blurred over to sit next to Carlisle and Esme. The person who had pushed him followed closely behind and I felt my eyes go huge as I got a glimpse of the blonde bombshell that _had_ to be Rosalie as she took the seat next to Emmett.

In the books, from Bella's description, I had always imagined Rosalie as some larger-than-life, intimidating woman who could strike fear into anyone. I'll admit, she was intimidating looking, but that was only because of her ridiculous, perfected beauty. Structurally, she looked like a teenage girl, and I was once again reminded of my misconception of the Cullen children's physical ages. Her gaze was cold, though not as much so as Jasper's.

The next two who entered were obviously Edward and Bella. It was Edward's hair that drew my attention first. The description of 'bronze' as the coloring was straight on, and was a much more vibrant copper color than anything the films could pull off. Honestly, if I had met someone with his color hair before this moment I would have labeled it as 'red,' though the thought made me wonder just how red Victoria's hair must have been if Edward's hair wasn't considered as such.

Bella looked much like I had imagined her in the books. She wasn't as frighteningly beautiful as Rosalie was or as odd looking as Alice; she reminded me of Esme the most, though I could see some of Charlie's features shining through. Her hair was almost the same color as his, though I definitely _could_ see the subtle red highlights that were described in the books.

My mental cataloguing suddenly reminded me of the mind reading power Edward had, and I tore my eyes away from his wife to glance at him again. They had taken the seats next to Alice and across from Rosalie and Emmett, and both were watching me with curiosity.

I'm not sure what I felt first, Edward's glare or his pulse increasing in strength, but whichever it was made me clench my fists and lean away from him. His eyes were not quite glaring at me as much as they were…concentrating? It looked as though…was he trying to read my mind? Could he?

I didn't want to seem like I was withholding information, so I started going over everything I knew about _Twilight_ in my mind on the likely chance he could hear what I was thinking. Suddenly, he let out a sigh and shook his head, releasing me from his gaze.

"No, I can't," Edward said, looking at Carlisle with concern on his face. "No, it's not so much a void as it is…static? It's like a radio station that is broadcasting white noise. I can't pick up a coherent thought from his mind." He shook his head and looked back at me.

"Alice?" Carlisle questioned. She shook her head as well and glanced at her husband.

"No," she said. "It's just like the wolves – a blanked-out future."

Everyone looked at me expectantly, like I had the answer to their unasked question. _Why don't our powers work on you?_ Hell if I knew. Maybe it's because I'm from another dimension? I shook my head slowly and looked back to Carlisle, who was obviously leading this little 'meeting.' There was a lull in the conversation for a few moments until two more figures walked through the doorway.

I suppose I was still stuck in book land, where Renesmee was still a kid, but the woman before me was no child. It was her, though, of that there was no doubt. The bronze ringlets hung from her head – the same shade as her father's – and her face was remarkably similar to Bella's own, with small hints of her father sprinkled in. She stood taller than Bella, though only by an inch or so, and behind her was an enormous native man.

Jacob – and there was no doubt that's who he was – was _tall_. Gigantic. Freakish. These were the first thoughts that came to mind. He wasn't as muscular as Emmett, but he towered over the hulking vampire by several inches. His skin was dark, making him seem even more foreign in the sea of albino-skinned vampires.

The strangest thing, though, was the lack-of-pulse. I had become proficient at judging the locations of people from their inner pulse, and I could easily feel Renesmee's strong one vibrating through the air. But Jake didn't have one at all – it was like he wasn't even there. He smiled wide at me and I realized my mouth was hanging open, causing me to return my glare to the hardwood floor again.

"What about Renesmee's power?" Carlisle asked no one in particular, looking thoughtful-yet-intrigued in his seat. Edward's and Bella's eyes boomeranged from their daughter to me and back again, and I could tell they didn't want her anywhere near me until they knew I wasn't a threat. "Bella cannot block her out, after all."

Renesmee looked to her parents, who hesitantly nodded and shifted in their seats to watch me more closely. She approached me at a normal pace, extending her hand to me and putting on a reassuring smile. Her pulse grew more intense, its heat flowing over my skin and nudging open the connection to my mind as she grew closer to me. The urge to jump into her body was so strong I had to lock down my body completely – refusing to move an inch.

I shook my head frantically, not trusting myself to unclench my jaw. Jasper stepped forward, causing Edward to whip his head around to look at him before rotating it back to look at his daughter with caution. I closed my eyes and pressed into my seat as hard as I could.

"Don't," I huffed between my teeth. The pulse grew weaker by an inch and I opened my eyes to find Renesmee back by Jacob's side, a look of apology was apparent on her face. She thought she had scared me? I shook my head. "Sorry."

"Don't be," Carlisle countered. "I'm sure being a bit wary of us is to be expected." He smiled reassuringly at me. I shook my head again.

"No," I said quietly. "That's not it."

Carlisle cocked an eyebrow and waited for me to continue.

"When I came here from my world," I began, causing Rosalie to huff in disbelief. I ignored her and continued. "I came here with less than nothing." I paused, recalling how scared I was when I first realized I was inside Matt's head and had no physical control of my body – his body.

"Less than nothing?" Carlisle pressed.

"I didn't have a body of my own," I said quickly, like ripping a band-aid off a wound. "I wound up inside some guy's head." I cringed at how unfortunate my descriptive skills were when telling a story. "I don't know how or why it happened, but my mind was trapped within his own.

"Eventually we tracked down a catatonic patient and I was able to…jump into his body – this body," I said, looking down at my hands. "And I feel this…pulse – I don't know how else to describe it – with nearly all people when they're near me, and for some reason it's stronger with you guys."

"Dude," Emmett said. "He's a body snatcher." I smiled slightly, but still didn't dare raise my eyes to look at the others.

"The stronger the pulse is, the harder it is for me to resist…jumping into that body," I continued. "So forgive me if I want to avoid touching you," I said to Renesmee. "It's nothing personal." Renesmee nodded slowly, eyes wide.

"What a load of shit!" Rosalie snarled, pulling her lip up at me. "Tell me you aren't buying this, Carlisle?" Rosalie looked to her leader, as did everyone else.

"The things he knows," Carlisle shook his head and sighed. "I trust Edward filled you in on his explanation?" Carlisle looked to the bronze-haired teen, who nodded. They were listening in? I frowned – did this mean his mind reading range was greater than my…pulse range? Wow, that sounded geeky. I pursed my lips to keep from smiling.

"You mean his 'we are all book characters' delusion?" Rosalie retorted sarcastically. "Besides that, why did he come to _us_, of all people? Why are you really here?" She asked the last part to me. I pondered her question, trying to decide how to explain it to the rest of the Cullens in a way they would understand. I had no illusions of swaying Rosalie – I knew all too well from the books how hateful she could be.

"You all are the main characters in a book that I was suddenly put into," I paused, gathering the rest of my lacking explanation. "Where else would I go? Who could I turn to that would have any hope of helping me with something this crazy? I don't know how else to convince you." I shook my head and placed it in my hands, letting out a long breath.

"Perhaps we _could_ ask him questions, Rose," Edward said. "If he's telling the truth, he'll be able to answer them easily." I looked up at Edward before shifting my gaze to Rosalie, who tilted her head in contemplation.

"That doesn't prove he is who he says he is," Rosalie replied. "He could have a power like Alice – or maybe the information was supplied by someone."

"Rosie," Emmett started to say, but was cut off by her growl. He sighed and shook his head.

"Davis," Carlisle said to me. "You said you had the ability to jump into another's body?" I nodded to him hesitantly. "If you can indeed do what you say you can, it would lend great credibility to your story." I looked at him blankly for a moment before responding.

"You want me to intentionally jump into another body?" I asked. Carlisle nodded. "That's…not a good idea. The body I'm in was on life support – breathing machines and everything – and it would probably…_die_ if I left it." I cringed at the thought of being held prisoner in another person's head. I had grown spoiled to my free range of motion that was afforded to me by my private mind.

"Hmm," Carlisle hummed, clasping his hands together. "Perhaps another time, then, when we have the proper equipment to keep your body alive?" Carlisle asked, looking a mixture of intrigued and determined. I had a feeling I shouldn't say no, so I nodded. "So, the questions, then?" he pressed. I nodded again.

"What's my favorite color?" Emmett asked suddenly, starting off the Q and A session with a horrible question. I shook my head.

"The books were from Bella's perspective from moving to Forks to the point when the Volturi walked away from the misunderstanding with Renesmee," I corrected, hoping that would make the questions a little more impossible. Bella gasped.

"From _my_ perspective?" she asked, though I knew she could hear me well enough. I nodded to her and she closed her eyes and shook her head. "Great." She paused for a moment before opening her mouth to speak. "What were we doing when we met three nomadic vampires?"

I let my head fall back onto the back of the chair as I thought about it. They met three nomads – and more – in the last book, but I was sure she was describing the one from the first book. I left my head leaned back as I spoke.

"Victoria, Laurent, and James?" I questioned, tilting my head so I could catch Bella's nod. "Baseball."

"On the night I ran into Bella at Port Angeles," Edward started. "I took her to a restaurant. What was it called?" Shit. I knew it had 'Bella' in the name, but the rest of the name didn't come easily to me. I was almost sure it was an Italian restaurant, though.

"Uhh," I hesitated. "Bella Italian? I can't remember the exact name, but I remember you ordered two Cokes and Mushroom Ravioli. I can't remember if that's where Bella found out you could read minds or not. I always get the book scenes confused with the movie ones."

"Wait, wait, wait," Emmet held up a meaty hand. "Movie? Just how popular _was_ this book?" I huffed out a laugh.

"Books – plural – and _very_," I drawled. "Like, _Harry Potter_ big. I'm not sure if it made more money than Potter, but a _lot_ of people read it – mostly teenage girls." I mumbled the last part out.

"You read a chick book?" Emmett scoffed, trying to hold back a laugh but failing very hard.

"Yeah, well, you sparkle in the sun and are a main character in that _chick book_," I quipped, mentally patting myself on the back for the quick comeback. Emmett's mouth popped open and I nodded to myself.

I waited for someone else to ask a question, but they were all speechless and seemed to be deep in thought. I wasn't sure if they were thinking up Jeopardy-level questions for me to answer, or if they were processing my presence here in their lives. Or maybe they weren't thinking about me at all. I took a glance outside the window to see that it was pitch black outside – how long had they been questioning me? I tilted my wrist to check my watch out of habit, only to find it bare.

I sighed and rested my head on the back of the seat once again, waiting for the next round. Someone cleared their throat and I raised my now-heavy head to look at Carlisle, who had risen from his seat and was watching me.

"You must be tired, Davis," he said. "You can have the guest bedroom; we'll continue this in the morning. Esme will show you the way." I nodded and grunted my way out of the comfy chair, following lazily behind Esme up the stairs to a large bedroom – complete with adjoined bathroom. It was exactly as I would have expected – white on white and very stark looking.

"There are towels in the bathroom; help yourself," she said, eyeing what I hoped to be my clothing and not my body. "I'll try to find some of Edward's clothes for you to wear – he'll be closest to your size." She walked to the door and called out "good night" before closing it behind her and leaving the enormous room to myself.

I looked toward the shower before turning my head and eyeing the bed. My shoulders slouched as a wave of lethargy washed over me, making the decision for me as I shuffled toward the hopefully-comfy bed and collapsed on top of it. I fell asleep almost instantly.

* * *

**End notes:** And we're moving right along. It was actually more difficult than I thought it would be to come up with questions for the Cullens to ask Davis without them seeming like I was putting the book in front of them so they could cherry pick from the text.

Actually, that's something I haven't been doing at all. Once I started to write this story, I decided not to read any of the _Twilight_ books at all (even for reference) so Davis' knowledge and recall about the story could seem more legitimate. If I need to know something about a character (like height, hair color, etc.) I'll look it up on a wiki or something and then go dark on the series again.

That's dedication, Holmes.


	12. Dreaming the Life

**-Chapter 12: Dreaming the Life-**

The sunlight streaming through the window was what woke me up. The sun's rays warmed the right side of my face and I ducked my head under the covers instinctively, relaxing my muscles and hoping to fall back asleep. That was an impossibility, though, once I remembered I was currently sleeping in a house owned by fictional characters.

I threw off the covers and got out of bed, stretching my limbs and rotating my neck until it cracked. I frowned at the harsh sunlight – which was always many times brighter with the presence of snow – and moved out of its warmth toward the bathroom. The sudden temperature change made me shiver, though I shuffled on despite mentally cursing the house temperature. Did these vampires even have the heat on?

That was a stupid question. I shook my head at myself. It was nearly winter in Alaska and I was only _slightly_ shivering. Of course the heat was on.

There was a small pile of clothes on the bathroom counter when I walked in – a pair of pants, a button down shirt, socks, and underwear. I cringed at the thought of wearing another person's underwear – even if they were probably unworn – but I had been walking around in the ones I had on for days. I stripped and turned on the shower, smiling when it took only three seconds for the stream to heat up – much faster than the shower back at my house.

The reminder of my previous life forced me to think of my brother, Brian. He was volatile and hateful most of the time, and my parents couldn't stand his attitude, but I still missed him. Who would I laugh with over some funny video on the internet? Who would sit and watch bad TV with me and mock the dramatic characters and their shallow storylines?

Though the two of us would never acknowledge it – at least under normal circumstances – we had a pretty tight bond. In fact, I used to joke with him that we had a mind link; one of us could hear or say a single word and instantly know what the other was talking about. Inside jokes were our type of language and it was possible for us to verbally mock another person – in their presence – without them ever knowing what the hell we were talking about.

I let the shampoo wash through the hair that wasn't my own and lathered the skin that wasn't mine as I wrestled with thoughts of my brother. On one hand, I wished he were here with me – and since I was here, it was possible for him to be, right? He knew the books as well as I did, which meant if he had somehow followed me into the twilight zone he would eventually find his way to me.

On the other hand, I was secretly glad that he wasn't here. I had to face facts: I was probably dead in my world. I mean, maybe if I arrived in my own body I could believe there could be a silver lining to all this supernatural crap. But that didn't happen – I was stuck in this fantasy universe as nothing more than a spirit that haunted the body of a mentally dead teenage boy. If Brian wasn't here then that boded well for his life.

I closed my eyes as the jeep accident happened again and again in my mind. If only Brian had spoken – let me know he was still alive after the wreck. But I had no idea what had really happened. The optimist in me hoped I was in a coma, still alive and just waiting to wake up in my world. The realist in me, though, knew that I had only had one lucid dream in my lifetime – and never one this vivid or lengthy.

I turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, wrapping myself with a towel and scrubbing my skin with it to dry off. I dressed quickly, pulling on the unfamiliar clothing with clenched teeth and buttoning up my shirt. From my reflection in the mirror, the shirt was much too long for me, but it fit well around my torso. The pants were slightly too long as well, though a quick fold on the ends of the legs solved that problem.

I put on my socks and slippers and went to the door leading to the hallway. I opened it hesitantly and stuck my head outside; there didn't seem to be anyone up here with me, and I could not hear anything at all. I took in a small breath and my stomach rumbled from the smell of food cooking. Closing the door behind me, I followed the greasy scents downstairs to the kitchen, where Jacob and Renesmee sat at the large table. Only Jacob was eating, though; Renesmee sat beside the Quileute with a slight grimace on her face as she watched the wolf eat.

I cocked my head to the side as I realized I could only sense Renesmee's pulse within my range. It was still a bit strange to me how Jacob didn't show up at all on my 'radar.' I stepped further into the kitchen and eyed the heaping pile of food that was still left. Bacon, eggs, toast, hash browns, and waffles sat on two large platters. Jacob looked up at me and I gestured toward the food, silently asking if I could have some. He nodded, since his mouth was full, and I started piling food onto a plate.

I sat down at the breakfast bar instead of the table that the two were occupying. It somehow felt…_rude_ to sit down with Jacob and Renesmee after showing up on their doorstep asking for help – like the new kid at school trying to set at the popular kid's table. You'd think that I would jump right in and start making friends with these characters that I had read so much about, but as I watched the shape shifter stuff his face while the hybrid watched with an amused smile on her face, I was reminded that these weren't just characters that I could play with.

They were people. Well; vampires, shape shifting wolves, and vampire-human hybrids; but still _people_.

The breakfast was very good, and I had to stop myself from going for seconds after I was full. I downed my glass of orange juice and put the last piece of my egg-covered toast in my mouth, chewing quickly and swallowing, before turning to Jacob.

"Where are the others?" I asked. The paranoid part of my mind believed they were discussing what to do with me in private. The logical part of my mind, though, reminded me that if they thought I was a threat to them, they wouldn't have left their two most vulnerable family members here with me.

"Went to go see some friends of theirs that live nearby," Jacob replied, reaching for another two pieces of bacon. I nodded. Obviously he was referring to the Denali clan.

"Why didn't you go with them, then?" I asked as soon as I thought the words. Jacob's eyes darted to Renesmee and I could have sworn he moved closer to her in his seat.

"Just didn't want to go," he shrugged. "Besides, someone needed to watch the body snatcher." His lips turned up in a small smile. I scoffed.

"It's really not all that great," I shook my head. "At least not with someone else in there with you. It's more like body hitchhiking than body snatching, to be honest." I carried my plate to the sink and washed the remaining food particles down the drain.

"So there's no one in there with you right now?" Renesmee asked.

"Just me," I put on a hopefully-reassuring smile. The wave of pulses washed over me and my head snapped to the wall near the front door. Jacob frowned at me before raising his eyebrows two seconds later.

"How did you hear them coming before I did?" Jacob mumbled to himself as the front door opened and the Cullen family entered – plus one more.

He was a little shorter than I was, with dark brown hair and an olive complexion. His Spanish descent was obvious, though it took me a moment to place him until I took in his gold eyes. He looked nothing at all like the man who played him in the movies. This was Eleazar.

The group of vampires paused, most of them lingering outside the kitchen. They all seemed to be either watching Eleazar or eyeing me. I shifted my weight and slowly moved back to my seat on the breakfast bar, waiting for someone to say something. Anything. After a minute, Eleazar breathed out and nodded to Carlisle.

"He can do what he told you," Eleazar spoke, making my eyes widen. He read my power to jump bodies? "It's undeveloped yet, but with practice he could be the ultimate spy." He shook his head and looked back at me. "You've once again stumbled upon a powerful ability, my friend. If I couldn't tell otherwise, I would guess you had a gift to attract talented individuals. If Aro discovered him…" He trailed off, but I think we could all read between the lines.

"Spy?" Jasper questioned harshly, though it was obvious that most of them were thinking along the same lines. Even I was intrigued.

"Si," Eleazar replied. "He can already inhabit a person's mind and eavesdrop, so to speak; but once he grows into his abilities he will be capable of much more than that." He looked at me, almost studying me. "You will be able to _control_ the body you inhabit."

"I can already do that," I said, gesturing to my body that was walking and talking as if it were my own. Eleazar shook his head.

"No, you can only control the mindless," he gestured in the air as he paused. "The body you are in was damaged, si? Brain dead?" I nodded. "Eventually you will be able to _possess_ someone's body, while they are still _inside_ it. Comprende?"

Once again, the vampires became completely silent as I slowly nodded my head. I was well aware of my mouth hanging open, though I could do nothing to close it. Mind control? Possession? I swallowed. It was a terrible thought, taking away someone's free will and driving their body around. I knew this all too well from my days of confinement within Matt's head.

"So he was telling the truth?" Emmett asked, sounding offended. "We're all characters in a girl book?" A short laugh bubbled up out of my open mouth. Of all the things to be concerned about, Emmett obsesses over being in a 'girl book.'

"That, I'm afraid, I cannot say," Eleazar said, studying me again. "I can only confirm Davis' ability; not his story." I could tell he was considering if my 'story' was true or not, though his tone revealed he was far from convinced.

"Well," Carlisle said, turning to Eleazar. "Thank you for coming, Eleazar. I trust that this discovery can be kept between our families?" Eleazar's eyes widened.

"Of course," he reassured. "I certainly have no desire to be in the presence of the Volturi after what they have done to our family." They shook hands and the Spanish vampire promptly left.

Almost instantly, the group of vampires had dispersed, leaving only Carlisle, Jacob, and Renesmee. I adjusted my position in my seat and waited for Carlisle to say something or leave. It was very strange to see someone hold so still. After a few moments, he snapped out of his statue impression and walked over to the breakfast bar where I sat.

"I don't know that I'll find anything useful," Carlisle told me, looking straight into my eyes. "But I will see what I can dig up in regards to your…displacement." He paused briefly, though nowhere near as long as he had at first. "Forgive my prying, Davis, but I cannot help but assume you have not told us the entirety of your story. Normally I would leave it alone, but with dealing with something so extraordinary and…"

"Weird," I supplied once again, cracking a small smile. He returned it.

"Yes, well, anything you can tell me could only help," he finished.

I hesitated at first, but this was what I came here for, right? I needed answers – I needed to know if there was a way I could get back to my world and see if my brother was OK. I adjusted my position in my seat again and began my tale.

I told him everything I shared with Matt, from driving home from the movie theater and the crash that followed, to discovering the unsolved mystery TV show that pointed me in the right direction – to Forks. I left out the part where I told Matt that vampires existed, though. I wanted to be completely honest with Carlisle, because as he said, anything could be helpful; but I could not risk Matt's safety. I would not be responsible for any more supernatural drama in his life.

* * *

"Sorry, Emmett," I said, clicking the home button and navigating back to the IMDb home page.

"But seriously," Emmett repeated for what had to be the third time. "I played Poseidon, for real?" I sighed and shook my head.

"No, the guy who _played_ you in the _Twilight_ movies played Poseidon," I spoke slowly, but I'm not sure Emmett knew the difference. He was absolutely stoked that _he_ was a Greek God.

Of course, he was a bit disappointed when I looked up _Immortals_ and found out the guy who played Emmett in _Twilight_ did not play the god of the sea in this universe. It was aggravating, since I didn't remember the actor's name and couldn't simply search for _Twilight_ to get a list of the cast. It was the same way with Rosalie, Esme, and Renesmee, since I couldn't remember their actresses names either.

Carlisle was fascinated, though, and that thought made me feel better – it meant he was starting to believe me. I had already told him about how I had discovered the universe I was in was not merely one without _Twilight_, but actually _was_ the universe of _Twilight_, and I dove deeper into the butterfly effect – so to speak – that the books not existing caused.

"Oh!" Emmett exclaimed rather loudly. "Do you know Aro's actor's name? Or Carlisle's?" His voice carried far and wide throughout the property, and within seconds the entire family was gathered around the computer, looking to me like I was about to deliver a sermon. I sighed again.

"Yeah," I said. "Micheal Sheen played Aro, but I don't remember Carlisle's actor's name – I know he was in _The Scorpion King_, though."

"Wait," Jasper cut in. "You're telling me that the leader of the Volturi, the most powerful vampire coven in the world, was played by the guy who also played that werewolf in _Underworld_?" He cracked a smile and Emmett snickered when I nodded. "That's just too good." I showed everyone the actor who played Carlisle, Peter Facinelli, and that started the multi-hour-long tour of the _Twilight_ cast members – at least the ones who I could remember or look up.

I remembered Ashley Greene's name, luckily, since I didn't know of any films she had been in besides _Twilight_. Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner were easy enough to remember and look up. The real Jacob completely dwarfed Lautner, though, and he actually _looked_ like a Native American. Bella wasn't _so_ upset at her actress, though I wasn't sure if she'd seen Stewart act.

Robert Pattinson as Edward, though, caused a bit of a fuss. Emmett just wouldn't let it go.

"Expelliarmus!" Emmett shouted at Edward and waving his invisible wand in the air.

"You're such a jackass, Emmett," Edward said, though I could have sworn his lips twitched.

I had to look up Jackson Rathbone, who played Jasper. Luckily, I had recognized him from _Big Stan_ and showed everyone a picture. Of all the portrayals, Jasper looked the most like his respective actor, bar his hair color. Esme and Rosalie waved off my lack-of-results where their actresses were concerned, but I could tell they were secretly curious. I resolved to keep looking.

Renesmee's actress was absolutely hopeless. Not only was she played by a child actress in the movie, but when they showed her as an adult at all it was computer generated. I redeemed myself by showing everyone Billy Burke, the guy who played Charlie. They all got a laugh out of that.

The light outside was fading as I entered the kitchen to get a soda from the refrigerator. I frowned as I took in the slim pickings. Water, juice, even beer was plentiful; but I couldn't find any Coke or Pepsi. Suddenly, a figure appeared to my left and I jumped, letting go of the refrigerator door and letting it slam shut in my fright.

"Not a fan of juice?" Carlisle asked. I shook my head.

"You wouldn't happen to have any soda would you? I need the caffeine," I replied, trying to regulate my heartbeat. Carlisle frowned to himself and reached for the refrigerator door, opening it and peering inside.

"Ah," Carlisle said, sliding open one of the drawers that were usually used for fruit or vegetables. Inside were about five bottles of Mountain Dew. He handed me one. "Here you go."

"Thanks," I said with appreciation as I screwed off the top and took a chug, enjoying the slight fizzy burn and sweet taste.

"You're welcome to the rest of those as well," he said. "Jacob usually drinks beer or Pepsi." I frowned, wondering why he would put so many Mountain Dews in the refrigerator if no one would drink them. "I have something to ask, if you'll consider it?" I nodded hesitantly, screwing the cap back on the bottle and setting it down.

"Sure," I said, though I didn't sound so sure.

"You said you were concerned that if you were to use your abilities to jump into another body, your current host body would…die?" Carlisle asked. I nodded. "I am more than capable of acquiring the necessary equipment to keep your body alive. Would you possibly consider allowing me to study your gifts if you could be assured your current body would not expire?"

I thought about it quickly. On one hand, I wasn't sure just how relevant studying my 'powers' was to figuring out how I fell into another universe. On the other hand – and more than one, actually – I really _didn't_ know if it was relevant, and I had come to Carlisle for his help, after all. The more fun side of me, of course, was thrilled at having the chance to experiment and 'grow into' my power – especially since Eleazar's revelation.

"I suppose you would be the volunteer?" I questioned. Carlisle grinned.

"Yes," he replied. "Though I am hesitant to let you into my mind for fear of losing control – of being possessed – I cannot help my curiosity. Your power is simply amazing." His eyes looked off into the distance and I couldn't even imagine what he was thinking of. "To think, an ability that is not rooted in one singular body and mind, but free to inhabit any free mind – and to keep your personality and memories intact." He shook his head as if I blew him away. And maybe I did.

"Alright," I agreed with a sigh. "Not permanently, though. And you have to promise to find me another body if you kill this one." Carlisle had a horrified look on his face, but he agreed swiftly.

"Of course. I will look into the life support equipment tomorrow. Good night, Davis," Carlisle said, gliding out of the room faster than humanly possible and leaving me to my soda and solitude.

I took another drink out of the bottle and leaned against the counter. Things were probably about to get interesting.

* * *

**End notes:** And there you go, we're making progress with the plotline (whatever it is, I'm not quite sure yet).

As I've said on the _Unstoppable Force_ end notes, I've decided to power ahead with this story instead of focusing on my other story. Updates should be sooner than they have been, so I can finish this story and _then_ finish _Unstoppable Force_.

Oh, and this story just hit 30,000 words with this chapter. I'm not even sure we're halfway done yet.


	13. New Car Smell

**-Chapter 13: New Car Smell-**

The next morning was less dramatic than the first – it was also less quiet. From up in my bedroom I could hear the distant sounds of a TV coupled with an occasional raised voice. I went to the closet, which was now stocked with clothing that hadn't been meant for anyone else but me, and pulled on a plain white t-shirt and some jeans before heading downstairs.

There were no delicious smells coming from the kitchen this morning, though that _may_ have been why the Cullens were actually around the house. Apparently human food smelled horrible to them, though since I was sure that the shape shifters smelled worse, I didn't understand why that would be a problem. Jacob – who was already eating – pointed me in the direction of the numerous cabinets in the kitchen for something to eat.

Inside was more food than I knew what to do with – I was honestly having trouble deciding on what I wanted.

Cookies, snack cakes, chips, Pop-Tarts, granola bars, candy bars, fruit snacks, cereal, and many other shiny wrappers containing who-knows-what. The utter absurdity of the selection of food had no doubt been covered in the books when Esme would cook up obnoxious helpings of home-cooked meals for a single person, but it was much different in real life. Bella hadn't been exaggerating at all.

I shook my head at the stockpile that put movie concession stands to shame and started sifting through the wall of wrappers and boxes. After a few seconds my fingers grasped a slim cardboard box and I pulled it out of the dark cave of candy to examine it. I couldn't believe my luck – Dots! The nostalgia of the selection overwhelmed me and I smiled.

I popped the break-away seal on the yellow box and popped one of the fruity snacks – lemon, this time – into my mouth, chewing and swallowing the gummy piece as I moved on to the refrigerator. I set the open carton of candy down on the counter and examined my options for drinks. The orange juice was gone – Jacob had probably drank it all – so I settled for apple juice, pouring it into a glass and taking my 'meal' into the living room with everyone else.

From the way Emmett was pounding on the plastic drum set and Jacob clicked the Xbox-labeled guitar in his hands frantically, I could immediately tell why it was so easy to hear them from upstairs. The two of them were currently playing a song on Rock Band to the limited audience of the other Cullen 'kids.' Well, except for Rosalie, but her presence was honestly exhausting, so I didn't mind at all.

I took a seat in the chair I had sat in during my interrogation with Carlisle and watched the show, popping a Dot in my mouth every so often and washing it down with apple juice. I cringed every time I took a swig – juice didn't go very well with Dots; it left a bitter taste on my tongue. I chugged the rest of the apple juice so I wouldn't have to mix the two together in my mouth and set the glass between my legs.

Esme flitted into the room in the middle of the second song, drawing my attention to her. She frowned at me and eyed the candy box that was on the arm of the chair. I picked it up and moved it next to my leg, though I wasn't sure what the hell I was thinking trying to hide it from Esme. I suppose it was just a reflex, hiding my obviously ill-selected meal.

"Is that what you're having for breakfast, Davis?" Esme sounded uncertain. I nodded, popping another Dot into my mouth – cherry this time. "We have bagels and donuts." I cracked a small smile as I looked through the doorway that let into the kitchen.

"Sorry, I couldn't find the bread aisle," I screwed up my face, realizing I had reverted back to my native tongue, sarcasm, without realizing it. Luckily, Esme smiled back at me, un-offended.

"Come on, Esme," Emmett boomed, not taking his eyes off the scrolling notes on the screen. "At least he's having juice instead of soda." Jacob let out a short laugh, though from the way he was into the game I was surprised he had even heard Esme speak.

The conversation luckily dissolved after that, and Esme went back to doing whatever Esme does during the day. I relaxed back in the chair, mindful of my empty juice glass, and finished off my box of Dots as I watched the two mammoths jam on their plastic instruments. The video game reminded me of my brother and my cousin on their own plastic instruments back in my world.

It wasn't often that it happened – usually during New Years – but every so often my family would get together for a party or celebration or whatever. Almost always, someone would bring along their Xbox and instrument set and we would all take turns on the big screen TV. The volume was always cranked too loud and no one wanted to be the one singing into the mic, but it was always a good time.

"Emmett," Carlisle calls from the doorway. "Let's go." Emmett turned around and nodded before returning to the game, hitting the drum a few more times and getting up to follow Carlisle out of the room.

"Dude!" Jacob calls out as the score on the screen starts to plummet from the idle instrument. Renesmee laughs and sits down in Emmett's seat, saving the song from failure.

Rock Band wasn't as much of a time-vampire as internet surfing or watching _To Catch a Predator_, but the time went by faster than I thought it would have, and before I knew it I was hungry again. Well, maybe it wasn't so much the amount of time passing as it was the choice of food I ate for breakfast, but either way my stomach was rumbling and I needed sustenance.

The vampire audience had dissipated by the time I put down the guitar and walked back into the kitchen, but I wasn't surprised to find Jacob raiding the snack cave again. He was flying solo, though; no Renesmee in sight. I followed his example and started flipping through the snacks for a few moments before giving up and moving onto the freezer. I pulled out a frozen pizza and showed my find to Jacob.

"You want half?" I asked.

"Sure, sure," Jacob replied, emptying half a bag of M&Ms into his mouth. I smiled as I heard the all-too-familiar phrase.

At first, the thought of just taking whatever food I could find and eating it, without asking the owners of said food if I _could_ have it, seemed kind of bizarre and downright rude. I suppose it was an automatic or subconscious response to assume one of the ten other inhabitants of the house might want to eat some of this stuff, but then I remembered they were vampires and the only other person who would probably eat this stuff was Jacob.

I put the pizza in the toaster oven, turned the knob to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, and took a seat across from Jacob. He finished off the rest of his M&Ms and tossed the empty bag in the trash before turning back to me. He looked very thoughtful, though he didn't say anything for a few moments. The timer on the oven was ticking away but I still had over ten minutes until it would be done.

_Maybe I should just go into the living room? Maybe my room? Why in the hell is he just looking at me?_

"So," I said, trying to fill the uncomfortable silence with uncomfortable conversation. "Where's Renesmee?" That seemed like the right subject to bring up, because Jacob's eyes seemed to lighten and maybe even glaze over a bit.

"She went shopping with Alice," Jacob replies with a slightly dopy smile on his face. I nod and look at the wall, trying to figure out if he's been charged with keeping an eye on me or not. "You mind if I ask you something, Davis?" Jacob finally gets around to whatever the hell he was biding his time for. I shrug my shoulders immediately and the action seems more rigid than it should be.

"Sure," I say, attempting to sound relaxed.

"Do you have like, super hearing or something?" I raise my eyebrows as I look at him. He seems completely serious but I have no idea why he would think a normal human being – well, body snatcher – would have super anything.

"Umm," I pause. "No. Why?"

"Because you heard Carlisle, Eleazar, and the rest of them coming before I ever did," Jacob cocks an eyebrow at me and I raise mine in challenge.

"I told you guys this already," I roll my eyes and relax my shoulders. "I can feel where people are with my body jumping…thing."

"Like Jasper?" Jacob questioned. I immediately started to shake my head, but paused. Was it like Jasper?

Jasper's gift allowed him to feel the emotions of those around him, so was it safe to say he could feel when someone got within his range? My gift wasn't a tracking ability either, but it sure would come in handy in a game of hide and seek.

"Maybe," I tilted my head to the side as I thought about it. "I don't feel emotions – obviously – but I can definitely tell when someone moves into my range."

"Can you tell them apart?" Jacob asked, seeming to really be into my abilities for some reason. "Like…could you tell Alice from Bella? Does your pulse thing even work on Bella?"

"_If_ there's a difference in each pulse it's too subtle for me to notice," I shook my head. "And yeah, I can feel Bella's pulse just fine. Why do you care so much?"

"Wouldn't you?" Jacob let out a small laugh, but his eyes grew distant. "It's just that what you can do reminded me of one of our old tribal stories."

"What, the spirit warriors?" I asked, no doubt looking a bit smug. Jacob let out a laugh.

"Yeah," Jacob laughed again and shook his head slowly. "The things you know…it's even weirder than when Shorty predicts things."

"To tell you the truth, I didn't even think of going to the Quileute with my displacement problem," I said. "It would have been a lot easier." I shook my head, remembering the marathon car ride from Seattle.

"Well, if Dr. Fang can't help, I'll ask my dad about it. Maybe they'll know something," Jacob told me just as the timer for the pizza dinged. I got up and opened the oven before realizing I had nothing to pull the hot pizza out with. "Oven mitts are in the second drawer to your left and…" Jacob paused. "The pizza slab is above the refrigerator." I found both of them and set the pizza on the counter to cool off a bit.

"I appreciate it," I said as I leaned against the counter. "But to be honest I don't think I'm going to ever get back home." I kicked my right foot over my left and let out a breath. "Sometimes I feel like maybe I don't want to – like it would be such a waste. I mean, do you even realize what people would do to get in my position?" Jake let out a snort.

"We must be pretty famous," Jake quipped, rolling his eyes.

"You have no idea," I shook my head again and began to cut the pizza with the scissors I found in a drawer. "Vampires and shape shifters are just fiction where I come from; it can be a pretty boring place back in my world."

"How do you know they don't exist in your world?" Jacob countered. I nodded in approval of his quick thinking, since it wasn't completely improbable that they did indeed exist in my world and I'd just never encountered one before.

"I guess you're right," I shrugged. "But they're nothing like the ones from here if they do exist. I mean, the books pretty much described everything about the vampires in this world, not to mention the location of the Volturi." I put four pieces of pizza on a plate for myself and handed the other four to Jacob, who let out a muffled 'thanks' before he dug in.

* * *

I don't exactly know what it was that made me want to explore the rest of the gigantic house. Maybe it was because I hadn't gone outside in almost two days, or maybe it was because if I wasn't watching TV in the living room I was hanging out with Jacob in the kitchen. It was probably both.

The very first door I tried led to an enormous, attached garage – easily as wide as my house was, back in my universe. My hand hung on the doorknob as I gaped at the numerous cars and motorcycles that only seemed to take up three-fourths of the space. My god, you could practically _live_ in here. I glanced around to make sure no vampires – namely Rosalie – were creeping around, and stepped inside the motor pool, pulling the door closed behind me and flipping on the light switch.

The overhead lights flickered to life and hummed in the silence. Some of the cars I recognized, like the silver Volvo and Alice's Porsche that I rode in on the way here. I assumed the red car was Rosalie's M3. Emmett's jeep wasn't here, and I wondered if Carlisle and Emmett had taken it when they left. To my right, there was an entire setup of toolboxes and mechanic gear that looked very intimidating. It looked like a much cleaner, better stocked version of my dad's workspace.

I moved further in and walked toward the back of the garage. Lining the wall were two propped-up motorcycles, one black and one a steel-grey color. I vaguely remembered Edward getting one from the books, and I knew Jacob kept his, but I couldn't remember which one was supposed to be which. Was Bella's old motorcycle red or was that from the movie as well?

"Stupid _Twilight_ movies," I muttered under my breath. I took a few more steps and halted, taking in the last four cars that were lined up two-by-two against the furthest wall of the garage. The one closest to me was black and luxurious looking, and if I had to guess I would call it Carlisle's Mercedes.

The last three were all covered with sheets that looked very expensive, themselves. The one that was parked right beside Carlisle's car was sleek looking, from what I could gather from the angular points that the cover folded over. The one behind Carlisle's car looked much the same, though it was a couple inches lower to the ground. These two were probably Edward and Bella's special cars. I wracked my brain, but for the life of me I couldn't remember the names of them.

The car that was pushed the furthest back, into the corner, was much larger than the other covered cars. The hump that was the cab was raised a half-foot higher than the car next to the Mercedes, and the front hood extended a foot or so further out than the others. I moved between the two cars in front of me and stopped next to the larger vehicle, placing my left hand gently on the hood.

My handprint could be seen in the very slight coating of dust that was spread on the cover, and I grimaced at my impulse control. I really shouldn't be touching cars that don't belong to me. I shook my head at the enormous car collection and started back toward the door that led to the house, only to find Rosalie staring me down from the doorway.

I mentally chided myself as I held my breath and willed my heart to slow down. So much for my 'pulse sense' making it difficult to sneak up on me. My mouth was suddenly dry, and I rubbed my tongue against the roof of my mouth as I waited for Rosalie to say something. She didn't; she just glared at me. I should say something to her – compliment her on her looks or on her mechanic work.

"Uh…"

Well, shit.

"What are you doing in here?" Rosalie hissed. She still hadn't moved, but she was blocking the doorway. I looked to the wall beside the exit and wasn't surprised to find the garage door button by the vicious blonde as well. Shit, again.

"I was just l-looking at the cars," I stuttered, but at least they were actual _words_ this time. "I wasn't going to…I mean I was just looking." I clamped my mouth shut before I could tell her I was just looking at the cars again.

Without warning or sound, I was suddenly no longer on the ground. I felt a jerk, and I was pulled upward in a strong grasp. I gasped, looking down at Rosalie, who was holding me by my shirt as I dangled a foot off the garage floor. I suppressed the urge to kick her as I felt and heard the fibers of my t-shirt starting to stretch and tear. She drew me closer to her.

"It's bad enough Carlisle and Esme allow you in the house," Rosalie hissed, her chilled, sweet breath blowing over my face. My heart took off in a gallop and my scream stuck in my throat. "I won't have you in the garage. That's _my_ area; do you understand?" Her onyx gaze held on me as I dangled in the air for a few moments. My mind screamed _say OK_, but my mouth wouldn't work.

And then, completely forgetting what I was doing, my hands reached up – almost on their own – and grasped Rosalie's wrist.

It happened faster than before, and the dark void I shot through was as brief as blinking an eye. The world spun back in to crystal clear focus – only it was _more_ focused. The shock of the sounds, smells, and feelings being so amplified caused me to startle and flinch as my mind filled into the wide crevices of Rosalie's mind.

Rosalie flinched as well, and we dropped Emil's body to the ground. It hit with an enormous thud – though I wasn't sure if it was so loud because of the damage it took or because I could hear _everything_. The heartbeat that I could hear so clearly slowed and fumbled in its beat like an airplane falling out of the sky, circling toward its impending doom. The muscles in the body relaxed and it stopped breathing.

"Oh, no," Rosalie breathed.

* * *

**End notes:** Alright, damn it, I hear you. Here's your update! I hope you don't mind a cliff hanger?

I'm still circling around some potential endings, so I'm not sure where I want to take the story yet. I kind of make it up as I go.


	14. All Along the Watchtower

**-Chapter 14: All Along the Watchtower-**

"Oh, no," Rosalie breathed. The sound of the air that swirled out of her mouth – now _our_ mouth – sounded as loud as the wind on a stormy day. The house suddenly wasn't silent; I could hear the wood shifting in the walls and floors and the ticking of a clock somewhere above me. I could also hear two heartbeats; one was increasing in tempo and growing louder, while the closer one grew more and more silent with each _thump-thump_ it echoed.

My body – or, Emil's body – was on the floor of the garage, barely breathing in short, shallow gasps. We stood there, Rosalie in body and myself in mind, for what seemed like days and weeks. The heartbeat pounded again. _Thump-thump_. Everything was in slow motion to me now; events seemed to stretch on and on. The second heartbeat grew closer, still, and another whistling breath blew out of Rosalie's mouth.

The pounding footsteps and thudding second-heartbeat came up behind me and my muscles seemed to bunch together and freeze under the perceived danger. My breathing cut off for a moment as the overhead lights in the garage flickered and hummed, the sound nearly deafening to my improved hearing.

_Thump…thump_.

We turned our head and shifted our body's weight to see who had come up behind us. The motion caused a wave of shock to flow through me, as I registered my new and improved vision. The light threw shadows of light that faded and softened as it reached the edges of objects; so much _more_ than I had been able to see just moments ago.

I recalled briefly my hesitance to wear glasses when I was a freshman in high school. I had no frame of reference to compare my poor distance vision to at the time, and the degeneration happened so slowly and subtly that I had never noticed it dim on me. This – the sudden intensity of color and detail that was nearly overwhelming – was comparable to my first pair of glasses.

Before, when I had put the glasses on for the first time, the grooves in the linoleum floor of my house and the curve and shape of the leaves in the trees were revealed to me. And now, it was the microscopic pieces of dirt and dust that were scattered about the concrete floor of the garage. It was the hairline cracks in the wall that I would have needed a magnifying glass to see before.

It was the HD of HD.

_Thump…thump_.

We completed the turn and faced the person who had come up behind us. He was even taller now, from my shorter height, and he seemed both more intimidating _and_ less intimidating than he did the last time I saw him. The pores in his skin were sprinkled with short, fine hair, and his body heat hit me like a humid shower. We breathed in. I shuddered inside Rosalie's mind as the revolting scent registered, although the reaction didn't physically affect the ice queen I was trapped inside of.

Jacob's eyes were wide as he stared at the spot where my old body lay. He breathed in – a wet, rough sound, in comparison to Rosalie – and his mouth gaped like a fish for a quarter of a second. His eyes darted back to me – us – and they hardened and shined with accusation.

"What did you do?" Jacob demanded. His form vibrated in place like a tuning fork and his fists clenched as he held himself back from what I could only assume was phasing.

"I didn't," Rosalie said, disconnectedly. "I don't-"

_Thump…_

Rosalie was cut off by the faltering heartbeat, causing the panic inside us to rise. She whirled around suddenly and darted over to the failing body on the floor. She was crouched low with her hand extended, thinking of what to do.

_Save him! Save me!_ I shouted out as loud as I could from the depths of her mind. Rosalie's mind blanked, similarly to Matt's own reaction, sans the fainting part. When she came back to herself, the onslaught of emotions made me squirm and buck inside her head. Panic and desperation – so much stronger than Lori's reaction – rained down on me from every side and Rosalie let out a hiss.

_Thump…th-thump…_

I could almost_ feel_ the life draining out of Emil's brain dead body. His pulse was nearly gone, all the warmth sucked away and fading fast as his heartbeat wound down. My mind mirrored Rosalie's in that moment, the frantic _need_ to get out of this elastic prison and back into my chosen body. I felt my mind shudder and shiver inside Rosalie's head as I reached out, trying to grab hold of anything.

_Move! Do something!_ I shouted. Why, oh why, did she have to freeze up _now_ of all times?

I lashed out again, my panic built up to a boiling point, and the sensations that ghosted up our limbs and torso were both cold and warm. It was like getting microwaved, I imagined, though I had never had the pleasure of trying it out personally.

And then something happened. My phantom flailing and seething mind solidified, and suddenly I had control of Rosalie's body.

I stumbled back, away from the dying body I was so desperate to save from spoiling. My back hit one of the concrete walls, though it felt like smacking into a padded, foam board. The sound of the collision was like rock on rock and I could feel the house shudder minutely from the impact.

By the time I had shaken off my disorientation from the sudden body hijacking, Jacob was already kneeling over the body, pumping the chest up and down. The sound of the heart manually being forced to beat made me cringe, though the dark skinned Quileute powered on in his endeavor. I took a step toward Jacob to see if I could help – maybe if I touched the body again I could jump back in – but my attention was drawn to the sound of the front door slamming open.

Tiny footsteps blurred together with heavier ones and less than a second later Alice and Renesmee rushed through the door and stopped a few feet from Jacob working over Emil's body.

Alice's eyes were wild and panicked as she took in the scene. She glanced at me and a visible relief showed in her gaze before it was replaced with one of confusion. Renesmee drew her attention away as she moved closer to Jacob.

"What happened?" Renesmee asked in a small voice. Jacob just shook his head and let out a low growl that I assumed was meant for me. Or…well, for Rosalie.

In my mind I heard a screaming and snarling that I realized I had been blocking for the few seconds I had taken control of Rosalie. Not _just_ screaming and snarling, though, it was _Rosalie_ who was yelling and cursing at me.

I could feel myself being tugged and pulled under, and suddenly I wasn't in the driver's seat anymore. I was shoved – violently – into the dark corner of Rosalie's mind once again. Our body jerked as our muscles reacted to the new controller, and Rosalie let out what sounded like a mix of a hiss and a sigh.

"Parasite!" Rosalie snarled out loud. Thoughts of springing at the immobile body flickered through her mind, causing me to panic and struggle again as I tried to regain control of her body somehow. It was useless; I was too mentally drained from my first Rosalie-test-drive to do anything about it.

_Stop! No. If you kill that body I won't have anywhere to go!_

Rosalie hesitated, though her muscles were still pulled tight and ready to spring. Her body shuttered as she imagined being saddled with me for all eternity inside her head. The thought of being in Rosalie's mind while she and Emmett have sex sent a shudder through me as well, and I tried to blank out the stream of images.

_Just…touch him – the body – and I'll be out of your hair. I don't want to be stuck with you either._

Rosalie walked forward and knelt next to the body. Jacob continued to give CPR to it, but as soon as he took his hands off Emil's chest once a steady rhythm was established, the heart would begin to wind down again. Both Rosalie and I silently cursed Carlisle for not being here. We leaned closer and Rosalie stretched her arm out to touch Emil's cheek, but Jacob violently pushed us out of the way and we rolled back into a crouch.

"Haven't you done enough?" Jacob spat, glaring at us. He turned away after a few seconds to resume his CPR.

"He's inside my head," Rosalie said, clenching our eyelids shut. "He thinks he can go back into…" She opened her eyes and motioned to the nearly-dead body.

"Well you better do it then," Jacob replied with wide eyes before shaking his head and returning his focus to keeping my host alive. "I don't know how much longer I can keep this up."

Rosalie nodded and crept forward, sliding her hand onto the cheek of Emil's immobile body without hesitation. She held it there for a moment before she let out a growl. I was still inside her head.

The pulse was nearly gone, reduced to merely a low hum and phantom heat. The connection I could feel was weak, like a collapsed tunnel, and my stomach dropped as I realized it may have been too late.

_It's not working. Usually it happens right away._

"What do you mean?" Rosalie snarled, causing Jacob to flinch away. "Get. Out." Rosalie kept her hand on Emil's cheek, but I could tell it took effort for her not to just crush it in anger.

_I'm trying!_ I shot back.

I concentrated hard, forcing every part of me to focus on the bridge that connected Rosalie's mind to Emil's frail one. Slowly but surely, the connection widened, letting out a steady increase pulse and heat. Jacob continued to pump away as the mental connection widened even more.

An immeasurable amount of time later, I had the connection wide open – though I had to hold my concentration to keep it from collapsing again. Without so much as a 'goodbye,' I gathered my mental self and flowed through the frayed and frail mental chord.

* * *

I felt like shit when I finally regained some semblance of consciousness. My chest felt like it had been trampled by a bull and my eyes refused to open. I was just…tired. I could hear a soft, steady beeping sound; I concentrated on it as I tried to wake up.

I took in a breath and turned my head to the left. The side of my face hit the cold spot of the pillow and a smile worked its way into my face from the cool, relaxing texture of it. My eyes finally opened to the harsh light of day, which was currently streaming through the window of the room I had been staying in.

Suddenly, my last body-snatching mishap flooded back into my mind and I sat straight up in bed, flinching from the ache in my chest and the tugging on my arm. Connected to my left hand was an IV, hooked into a bag that was hanging on a metal stand, much like you'd see in a hospital. I laid back down.

Off to the side was an array of machinery that reminded me of that hospital in Kansas City. I wasn't hooked up to a feeding or breathing tube this time, but there were several wires hooked onto my chest – probably monitoring my pulse. I flinched as my hand made contact with my raw chest, which radiated pain deeply. I pulled my hand away, content to leave the wires and doodads attached for now.

A knock sounded at the door and I gave an audibly pathetic 'come in.' Carlisle entered swiftly, and I admit I was half expecting him to be wearing a lab coat instead of a sweater and tan pants. He checked the machines and came back over to me, gently pulling off the multiple sensors from my chest and shutting off some of the machines.

"How are you feeling, Davis?" Carlisle asked, taking a step back once he was finished with his work.

"Horrible," I laughed and instantly flinched from the sharp pain it caused. "What happened to my chest?"

"Ah," Carlisle nodded and sighed, moving over to me again and propping the area gently. "Jacob had to perform CPR on you…your body…for several minutes. I'm afraid several of your ribs were cracked in the process." I nodded.

"How long was I out?" I asked.

"Over twelve hours," Carlisle said gravely. "It's nearly eight in the morning now."

"I didn't think I was going to make it," I sighed and closed my eyes, relaxing my muscles to keep my chest from hurting. I breathed shallowly, trying to minimize the pain.

"Yes, Rosalie filled me in on what happened," Carlisle's voice took on a disappointed tone. "I am sorry for her behavior. She can be…"

"A bitch?" I cracked, making myself laugh and then instantly groan.

"Well, yes," Carlisle allowed a small smirk to show on his face.

"What's with all this equipment? Was it really that bad?" My eyes widened as I recognized the fact that I could have _died_ last night. The connection was so weak that I wasn't sure jumping bodies would even work.

"No," Carlisle replied immediately, shaking his head. "Emmett and I went to pick this up for you to demonstrate your gifts safely." He laughed quietly and shook his head again. "But I think you need to take it easy for a while."

I nodded and glanced up at the ceiling, wondering how long it would take for my cracked ribs to heal. It would be absolute agony to try to walk around, but I didn't intend to lay around in bed until they didn't hurt any more. I dreaded getting up to use the bathroom, that's for sure.

"I looked into your…condition, Davis," Carlisle said, and I refocused on him. "We spent hours searching for anything related to what you've experienced, but I'm sorry, we haven't found anything."

"I didn't really expect you to," I sighed. "Thanks for looking, anyway." Carlisle nodded.

"Jacob even called his father to see if he knew anything," Carlisle continued. "They were intrigued, to say the least, but there was nothing in their tribe's history that could tell us anything conclusive. Jacob told me the legends of the Spirit Warriors were the closest, but they were never able to _possess_ a person while they were still inside."

I gave a slight nod, though I didn't try to speak. I didn't _really_ expect him to find anything useful. That would have been very convenient, and in my experience so far in the world of _Twilight_, it was anything but convenient. It wasn't so bad here, though; certainly never boring.

"Esme will bring you up some food in a few hours if you're hungry," Carlisle said, and I nodded. "I'll let you get some rest."

Carlisle moved to the door and left the room, leaving me immobile on the bed to stew in my own thoughts and obsess over everything for a few hours.

* * *

**End notes:** Sorry about the delay, folks. This chapter was difficult for me to write for some reason - hard to get motivated enough to sit down and write it.

I have a rough outline of what's going to happen from here on out, though I'm not sure how many more chapters it will take to finish. We'll see.

The next update may also take more than a week to get up, since I've been heavily neglecting _Unstoppable Force_ lately and it needs an update desperately.


	15. Tanya

**-Chapter 15: Tanya-**

Before I knew it, I had spent a week moping around the Cullen log-mansion, avoiding Rosalie and trying not to breathe too deeply. My ribs would take two months or so to heal, Carlisle had told me; and even then, it would take another couple months for them to regain their full strength.

I huffed and groaned as I shuffled out of bed and walked to the window. I let my eyes open slowly, so the always-harsh light didn't burn my eyes and give me a headache – my ribs hurt enough. A fresh inch or so of snow had fallen during the night, and the constant wind knocked puffs of it off the evergreen trees.

A smile tugged at my lips as I recalled the winter expeditions my brother and I used to take during winter. A small creek ran through our property on the other side of the railroad tracks, and we would occasionally hike up and down it in the cold – daring each other to brave the frigid ice water and walk across the frozen ice of the creek.

The small cliff that ran parallel to the creek was also a wonder to behold after a heavy snow. The small trickles of water that seemed to always run down the side of it would freeze over, creating a sort-of frozen waterfall along the edges of the rock. Brian and I would break off and collect large shards of icicles and hurl them over the edge of the cliff to see how far they could go.

The world truly looked like a different place in the snow. The white was so much more alluring to me than the dull, muted green-brown of the shrubbery.

My face must have moved closer to the glass, because the window started to rapidly fog, breaking the spell of the memory for me. I took a step back and headed for my closet. I pulled out the heavy pair of snow boots and the black winter coat and set them on the bed. Pants were a bit more difficult to pick out, but I eventually decided on layering sweatpants under windbreakers.

I didn't feel like sitting around the house – mansion – for the next seven weeks. I was going to go outside and explore.

* * *

"Alaska sucks," I shivered as I reached the tree line.

The snow and the quiet wilderness of the forest seemed a lot more appealing from inside, where it was nice and warm. My chin was tucked into the collar of my coat and my hands were withdrawn into the sleeves, since I had forgotten to bring gloves with me on my wild adventure.

And it was _cold_.

The brief chill I encountered from the short trip from Alice's Porsche to the mansion was nothing compared to the deep freeze I was in. I wondered, briefly, how long it would take me to freeze to death if I took off my coat and just stayed out here like this. Hours? Minutes?

I shook my head to clear my crazy thoughts as I treaded deeper into the sea of trees and snow, stepping carefully so I didn't twist my ankle. If I _really_ had a death wish, I could just cut my wrists and let the house full of vampires attack me.

"Hah!" I laughed, but it cut off into a mixture of a groan and a shiver. Even a week after Rosalie's little body swap mishap and my chest still ached.

I walked in what I hoped was a straight line for several minutes. The trees and rolling hills of snow looked the same the whole way, and I felt a small piece of dread crawl up inside of me. What would happen to me if I _couldn't_ find my way back?

They would find my trail eventually – they were _vampires_ – but Alice couldn't see me, so how long would it be before they started to worry? Would they even worry? Rosalie wouldn't, I'm sure. In fact, if she was able to do it without the chance of me touching her, I had little doubt she would have no qualms killing me for the trouble I put her through.

Abruptly, the tree-snow-tree-snow pattern was broken as I entered a small clearing.

Well, it wasn't so much a _clearing_ as it was a less-densely-populated area in the trees. It was about fifty yards in diameter, and formed a sort-of-ellipse shape, separating the rest of the uniformed forest with the three or so tall evergreens that were scattered near the center. The sunlight was brighter here, since it had to pass through fewer treetops to reach the ground, and the weak sunshine felt nice on the few pieces of skin I had exposed.

I dashed toward a collection of boulders and rock slabs on the far end of the ellipse, where there direct sunlight hit the clearest, and leaned into them. My chin un-tucked itself as I felt the small sliver of warmth flow off of the stone and onto my skin. I smiled, and climbed on top of the tallest rock.

I closed my eyes as I sat still on my perch, taking in the sunlight like a desert lizard. The heat the rocks collected and reflected was dim, but it was enough to notice, even through my multiple layers. The small comfort of heat came in waves, interrupted with intervals of gusts of wind that returned me to the harsh cold of Alaska.

In my quasi-meditative state, I couldn't help but reflect on my life – if what I was living could be called a life.

I had crossed the boundaries between realities, discovered I had developed body-jumping abilities, and followed a family of fictitious vampires to their home in Alaska. But why was I here? What was I doing?

_You're trying to find your way back home._

The linear thought was predictable and comforting, but it felt like a lie. What was I still doing here? Carlisle had told me personally that they couldn't find anything. There was nothing _to_ find. I wasn't from this reality, so why would there be anything to help me find my way home?

I had told myself I understood this was a _real_ place, and had accepted the Cullens as _real_ people in this reality. I had accepted that this wasn't a dream, yet I was still playing in the sand and waiting for the plot to come and sweep me away. I was – perhaps subconsciously – treating my displacement like a story in a book.

What did I really expect to happen? Was I really waiting to be adopted into the family and become a vampire? To be a part of some supernatural Brady Bunch for wayward freaks?

_Yes._

I let out a dark laugh at the automatic thought. Who was I to demand any more from them? I had been hiding away in my borrowed room with my borrowed clothes, eating their food and taking up their time with my problems.

It only made me feel worse to know Carlisle and Esme wouldn't turn me away; they were too kind for that. My fists clenched and my eyes watered in a mixture of frustration and sadness, and I wanted so badly to punch the rock I was sitting on until my knuckles bled.

My pity party was interrupted by the strong pulse wave that hit my mind from behind me.

I whirled around in surprise – or, I _tried_ to whirl around in surprise, but I ended up turning too fast and falling off the tall rock. Luckily, the snow, coupled with my insulated clothing, padded my fall. It didn't pad it enough to keep my ribs from practically exploding in my chest, though, and I cried out in pain.

In the back of my mind I kept track of the pulse, which had grown steadily stronger as I held in my breath and waited for the shooting pain in my chest to return to a dull throbbing. The warm signal paused, and I could sense whoever it was had stopped a little ways outside of the elliptical clearing.

I rolled over and propped myself up in a pushup position on the ground, not daring to place my chest against the frozen earth. Using the edges of the rocks I had so graciously fallen off of to steady myself, I pulled myself up without stretching my torso too much. I leaned against the uneven surface of the granite as I caught my breath, not caring if the dull shards dug into my back.

After a few moments, after the adrenaline and my heartbeat calmed down to their natural levels, I realized whoever was close by hadn't made an effort to move closer to me. The pulse was coming in at a different…angle? It was slightly removed from its last position, but it was still in roughly the same place. I huffed out an annoyed and wary breath and stepped away from the rocks.

"You scared the shit out of me," I tried to sound blasé and relieved, but my voice shook and was barely louder than a whisper.

I was _fairly_ certain that I hadn't gotten so turned around during my hike that I had forgotten which general direction the Cullen mansion was, and the mystery visitor came in from the exact _opposite_ direction I would have guessed the Cullen home was located in. I wasn't dead yet, so it was hopefully one of the Cullens coming back from a hunt or one of the Denali's coming to visit.

But why hadn't they approached me yet?

Quickly deciding, I hoisted myself back atop my rock and faced the direction the pulse was coming from. My eyes darted over the bark and needles of the trees, searching for an inconsistency and finding none. My ears strained of their own accord, though I knew I wouldn't hear anything if it was a vampire stalking me.

Almost imperceptibly fast – faster than I could blink – the pulse moved from deep inside the tree cover to _inside_ the elliptical clearing, off to my right. My breath hitched in my throat and my head jerked to follow the new location. My eyes widened as my eyes focused on my stalker, who stood completely still near the middle of the clearing, half of her body concealed by the tree trunk she was behind.

That she was a vampire was obvious – her pale skin, statue-like stillness, and terrifying beauty were a dead giveaway. She looked to be about twenty-four or twenty-five when she was changed, but it was difficult to tell. Her eyes were golden, which was a relief, and she had long, curly reddish-blonde hair. She was dressed for winter, just not _Alaskan_ winter. Her black jacket was unbuttoned and she wore jeans with a grey sweater.

She looked to be about the same height as Bella, though from this distance it was impossible to know for sure. It was definitely one of the Denali sisters, but I wasn't 100% sure which one. I shifted my body to face her and cleared my throat.

"So," I began. "Are you Tanya or Kate?"

Instead of responding, the vampire laughed and moved toward me. Her quick stride caused her to cross into one of the many beams of sunlight, and immediately I was hit with a prism of light dancing off of her skin. I could feel my jaw drop as I took in the sight, and I couldn't find it in myself to close my mouth as I watched the light show.

I couldn't remember how well the phenomenon was described in the books, but this was no mere 'sparkle.' Every part of her exposed skin refracted a rainbow of light quite strongly, making me wonder how the pasty white color wouldn't be a translucent, glass-like texture in the shade. This was so _far_ beyond the shimmering effect the movies had portrayed, which I had missed completely on my first viewing of the film.

She stopped on one of the shorter rocks that were still in the shade, erasing the spellbinding effect the sun had on her and allowing my brain to actually process information at a relatively normal pace. My jaw closed and I shifted my weight on the rock, since my ass was starting to go numb.

"I am Tanya," the vampire said with a wide smile, extending her hand in my direction.

I lifted my own automatically, but froze once I remembered what happened the last time I touched one of these vampires. I let out a frustrated sigh and crossed my arms over my chest so I wouldn't accidentally touch her.

"I am…sorry," Tanya frowned and brought her hand back, looking like I had killed her dog.

"No," I practically shouted. "It's just…I forgot gloves and I can't really shake your hand without…" I trailed off, wondering how much she knew about me. Surely Eleazar had told her and the rest of her coven about me?

"Oh," Tanya's eyebrows shot up. She let out a snicker and relaxed her stance. "Yes, Carlisle told us about what you did to poor Rosalie."

"What _I_ did to Rosalie?" I gaped at her, my own eyebrows mimicking her own. "That…she's the one who tried to _strangle_ me to death!"

"I meant no offense," Tanya shook her head, causing her curls to bounce and drop around her shoulders. "Kate and I thought it was quite humorous, what you did. Eleazar and Carlisle talked on the phone for hours about it."

"That doesn't surprise me," I said, taking my eyes off of her and looking out into the trees again. The wind had quieted and while I was still cold, I had adjusted enough so that I wasn't constantly shivering.

"So," Tanya said. "What _are_ you doing out here?"

I turned back to look at her, opening my mouth to answer, when I realized I wasn't sure _exactly_ why I had come out here. _Just because?_ Was that an acceptable answer? What about: _I needed to rethink my life as I know it inside this universe?_ Maybe: _I wanted to explore?_

"I just needed to…think," I finally said, feeling like that was the correct answer.

"You're lost," Tanya said. It wasn't a question. I readjusted my gaze on her face, nearly startled to find she was peering at me with what felt like a penetrating stare.

The way she said it, I knew she wasn't talking about being geographically lost – even though that _was_ part of the problem; losing sight of an entire universe. I didn't say anything to her, but she seemed to know she was right anyway.

Tanya flitted up to my rock and sat beside me faster than I could see. The sudden burst of refracted sunlight from the stray beams that hit her in her new position caused me to flinch, but she made no move to touch me, so I forced my muscles to relax and un-bunch.

"Eleazar told us your story, you know," she said quietly. "_The boy who crossed dimensions_. It must be devastating to lose your whole world and be thrust into this one."

"Some days it is – most days," I murmured.

"I have known that feeling," Tanya nodded in agreement.

It only took me a moment to realize what she was alluding to – her sister, Irena, who was killed in front of her and her family by Caius and the Volturi. Her mother was as well, if I remembered correctly. I glanced over at her sparkling face in the sunlight, but she looked to be lost in her own thoughts, just as I had been.

I felt like I had been punched in the stomach.

When I was reading the last book in the series, I remembered thinking _Irena deserved what she got for going to the Volturi_. She was just a mentioned character, barely featured on the written page at all, and used as a plot device to give the Volturi a reason to cause the Cullens trouble. I didn't bat an eye or mourn at all when she was ripped apart.

Now, though, I could see the depth of love Tanya had for her deceased sister, even after six years. They had lived for a thousand years as sisters, and a simple misunderstanding cost one of them their life. I let out a quiet gasp as my mind placed Brian in Irena's place, being ripped apart in front of me while I could do nothing.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"It's not your fault, Davis," Tanya shook her head and gave me a small smile. "And _this_ isn't your fault either." She gestured at my body.

"I know that," I frowned at her.

"Intellectually, yeah," Tanya shrugged. "But maybe you think that if you hadn't been at a certain place…or if you had done something differently or at a different time, you could still have your old life back?"

_No_, I wanted to say. But deep down I knew that it was a part of my misery. It wasn't the strongest part – not by far – but it had crossed my mind more than a few times.

_What if_ I hadn't insisted on seeing the movie that Thursday night? Would Ryan have still hit that deer? _What if_ I had went to the restroom before we left the theater? Would we have still crashed?

The thoughts were frustrating, and I wanted them to go back inside my head where I didn't have to think about them – not that that made much sense at all.

"You're right," I said with a groan. I hadn't ever been psychoanalyzed, but my head felt like I would expect it to if I had – pretzel-like. "How did _you_ figure that out?" I raised an eyebrow at her.

"I've been around a while," Tanya grinned, adding a lighter note to our impromptu conversation. "Though I suppose you know all about me already?"

"Er…" I hesitated. "The books really didn't go much into your family's history that much – only the stuff that dealt with…" I cut off, not wanting to mention the words 'immortal child' or 'Volturi' to her after such a depressing conversation. She seemed to know where I was heading anyway, and gave me a forced smile.

"Well then," she said. "I'll have to tell you all about me next time we meet." She stood up and leaped off the rock, adjusting her jacket.

"Why not now?" I asked, genuinely interested in hearing a part of the story that wasn't written down officially by the author.

"Because," Tanya rolled her eyes. "We've been talking for over two hours and your stomach has been growling for the past ten minutes." My eyes widened and I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks.

"Oh," I replied, taking stock of my apparently-empty stomach with surprise and realizing she was right. I _was_ hungry. "Right."

"We'll do this tomorrow," Tanya shrugged. "Same time?"

I nodded, carefully maneuvering myself off the rock and dropping to the snow-covered ground. I took several strides in the direction I was _almost_ positive was the right way to go, when I turned and looked back at Tanya, who was still standing in the spot she had jumped to.

"How far away is the house?" I asked. Tanya let out a laugh.

"A little over a mile," she replied nodding in the direction I was planning on walking in. "Not too far, is it?" She cocked an eyebrow at me and I shook my head.

"No," I huffed. "I'll manage."

I waved goodbye and trudged off into the thick forest, heading home with a lighter feeling in my gut than I had arrived with.

* * *

**End notes:** So, Davis has finally met Tanya. Good, yes?

Here's the deal: I'm _pretty_ sure it could remotely be possible that maybe Davis and Tanya could be mates. I didn't plan on this happening, it sort of just...came to me...as I was halfway through what I've already written of this story.

I've never really...written a romance story before, and I don't intend for this part of the plot to overshadow everything in this story for Davis. It just feels like the right move, so I'm going to roll with it and see how it works out. Maybe it goes horribly. Who knows? I don't.

Bye, now.


	16. Echoes

**-Chapter 16: Echoes-**

_The scenery that went by outside the window was blurred and sketchy, not quite able to fit into a solid, identifiable form. I think it must have been raining, since water kept pouring across the windshield while the window wipers went back and forth. There wasn't any pitter-patter of raindrops hitting the roof, though – I couldn't even hear the engine running._

_I was in the backseat of the vehicle, which must have been nice because my body sunk into the cool leather seats. There was no one back here with me, so my body was allowed to rest halfway against the passenger side door and halfway against the seat, with my legs stretched out across both sides of the floorboard._

_It was comfortable, in a weird, lazy way._

_The lights outside shifted and I saw two people sitting up front – a man and woman. The man was driving with his back pressed against the seat, casual in his seated position. The woman sat more upright, and was peering out of the right window._

_I couldn't see their faces and most of what they said to each other was muffled, but I _knew_ these were my parents somehow. But why couldn't I remember anything about them?_

_"Mac," the woman said clearly. I focused in on what she was saying. "It was a good offer. Why didn't you just take it?"_

_"I enjoy the work too much," the man, my father, smiled at my mother. "What would I do with all that free time, anyway?"_

_"Florida would be nice," my mother smiled. "We could take a long vacation there. Or Hawaii. Or a cruise!"_

_"We don't need that much money to do one of those," my father scoffed playfully._

_"But it would have helped!" I joined the conversation suddenly, surprising myself. "Just think of it – us, millionaires!"_

_"Emil's right, honey," my mother sighed. "That _does_ have a certain charm to it – _millionaires!_"_

_"You'll thank me for keeping it when you graduate and need a job, son," my father smiled at the windshield._

_"But I wouldn't _need _a job if we had millions!" I exclaimed with a roll of my eyes, though the two of them couldn't see it._

_"If you think we'd give any of it to you to spend, you're out of your mind," my father scoffed. My mother hit his arm playfully, clearly on my side._

_"Why not?" I asked._

_"I know how you teenagers are," my dad shook his head slowly. "You'd spend it all on woman and booze!"_

_We all started to laugh, when suddenly something hit us from the driver's side of the car – hard._

_My head hit the window and my vision blurred, though I felt no pain._

_The scene shifted, and suddenly I was in the front seat. The car was intact, but everything was different – and shockingly familiar. The shadows outside were deeper as I peered out the windshield and onto the lit-up pavement of the highway._

_The radio I'd know anywhere let out an eerie blue glow, lighting up the center console as the text scrolled across the ticker on the screen. I was back in the jeep – in _my_ world. A hand reached out to adjust the volume, and the white noise I hadn't realized was coming out of the speakers got louder. I followed the hand and arm with my eyes to their owner and let out a gasp._

_"Brian?" I asked, excitement and relief shooting through every part of my body. "Brian!"_

_He turned to me, and the blue light reflected off his glasses in the dark, hiding his eyes from me and casting deep shadows across the planes of his face. He held my gaze, never looking away and never saying anything to me. The shadows seemed to move and slide across his features and I could feel my heart beating faster._

_"Brian!" I gripped the 'oh-shit' bar at the top of the jeep. The needle on the speedometer inched forward as we accelerated faster and faster. "Slow down!"_

_I turned back to look back at my brother, but he wasn't there anymore._

_In his place was someone taller and lankier than my brother. He had on a hoodie with the hood pulled up to cover his head, which was a strange choice while driving a car in the middle of the night. His hands gripped the steering wheel and the jeep continued to go faster._

_The surroundings outside were nothing more than dim lights passing by like shooting stars. Everything was muddled and mixed, leaving only the narrow stretch of pavement illuminated by the headlights of the jeep to focus on._

_Wind entering the car jerked my attention back to the intruder, who was staring at me with a wide smile. The blue light hit his teeth in just the right way to give off a strange, almost-purple glow. It was his eyes, though, that sent the cold chill down my spine in ways no vampire ever had._

_They were white. Pure white, all the way through – no pupil or iris. They glowed a dim, pearlescent sheen like a light bulb going out in the dark. I could not breathe to scream, but my mouth must have been gaping._

_It was in that moment of terror that I realized who I was looking at._

_The eyes were wrong, of course, but there was no mistaking the curve of his jaw or the black hair that fell out from under his hood. This was Emil Brock, though he was twisted and shrouded with an evil aura._

_As quickly as he appeared, he was gone. The open window let in the cool night breeze, causing the jeep to shake and tremble from the high speed winds._

_It only took me 1.5 seconds to realize no one was driving. I dove for the steering wheel across the center console, staring through the windshield in horror. I remembered how this ended._

_Instead of a deer, like the first time we crashed, a man was kneeling in the middle of the road. A moment before the jeep crashed into him he looked up. It was Matt._

* * *

My hands flew over the keyboard effortlessly as I poured over the laptop's screen in the dimly-lit room. The tabs in my browser window were completely full, littered with search results and news articles.

After my dream – nightmare – I asked Alice if I could borrow her computer to look up a few things. I remembered, from Matt and Lori's research on my current body, that Emil's family was involved in a fatal car accident in Washington. The dream was so _vivid_. I spent two hours looking up everything I could find on the accident.

There wasn't much.

Much like my dream, the Brock's car was hit from the side by…something. It was assumed a car was responsible from the amount of damage done to the vehicle. The photos from the online newspaper were horrible – the entire side of the car was caved in and the rest was crushed from tumbling off the road. It was a miracle Emil wasn't killed instantly, like his parents.

I don't know if I would have questioned the accident had I not had the dream, but something was…_odd_ about the way the car crashed.

The Brock's car was hit from the side, but they were driving along a straight stretch of road when they were hit with dense forest on either side of them. It was _possible_ that the other car swerved into them at an angle or hit them after Emil's dad lost control of his car. The feeling in my gut didn't sit right with me at that explanation, though.

For one, there was no paint residue on the Brock's car from the car that hit them. In fact, I couldn't find _anything_ on the second car. No witnesses and no one else hurt. It was listed as a hit and run in the official report – I had that one opened in my third tab.

I recalled the dream again, replaying it in my head. If only I had turned my head so I could have gotten a look at whatever hit us – Emil, I corrected myself.

"What are you doing?" A voice said from behind me, causing me to flinch and nearly shove the laptop off the desk I was sitting at.

I turned around and let out a long sigh of relief as my heart rate settled back into its usual tempo. Tanya was standing a few feet away, peering at the computer which had pictures of the Brock's car up on the screen.

"Tanya," I breathed. "You scared the _shit_ out of me." Tanya smiled widely at that and shifted her gaze to me.

"You weren't at our rock today," Tanya said, moving to my side. I swiveled in my chair to face her. "So, what are you doing that is so important that you would miss out the opportunity to talk to _me_?"

I smiled at her playful tone. Every morning for the past few days I had gone to the oval clearing I had found and talked with Tanya for an hour or two. The meetings, I found, were much less awkward than hanging around the mansion with the Cullens. It was just so…stagnant around here.

"I've been looking up what happened to Emil Brock," I said, swiveling back to the computer screen. "I dreamed about the car accident last night and I can't get it out of my head."

"Who's Emil Brock?" Tanya asked, scrunching up her face in confusion.

"Oh," I said, frowning. "It's the name of my…body." I grimaced. That didn't come out like I wanted it to.

"Oh," Tanya mimicked, seeming to understand what I said. "So do you have his memories as well?"

"No," I replied immediately, then backpedaled. "Well, not really. I usually hear whatever my…host…is thinking, but I've never picked up anything from Emil."

"But you were dreaming about his family's death?" Tanya asked, trying to understand.

"I don't really understand how it's happening either," I sighed.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Tanya said, causing me to stare at her in confusion. Had I missed something? "Oh," Tanya said, seeing the look on my face. "Carlisle asked me why you didn't say anything about your dream. Well, I think he asked himself it more than _me_, but you know what I mean."

"Oh," I replied dumbly, finding myself growing tired of the word. Honestly, I hadn't thought to go to Carlisle with my dream. Sure, it was strange – strange enough to prompt me to research it – but it wasn't anything concrete that I needed his help with. At least not yet.

The dream flew through my mind again, foggy and vague as it was. It was strange and a little unsettling, the way Emil's crash morphed into my own. Matt's face as he knelt in the middle of the road flashed in my head. He looked so tired and…dead in the dream.

A bubble of nerves built in my stomach as my fingers flew across the keyboard, almost on their own.

M-A-T-T- -L-A-W-R-E-N-C-E. Enter.

It was a sort of numbing dread mixed with disbelief as I caught site of the news headline nested in the search results. This wasn't national news, but it definitely made waves in Missouri.

**Man Abducts Catatonic Boy from Kansas City Hospital**

Of course, I _knew_ who the catatonic boy was. I didn't really read the article – I couldn't bring myself to. My eyes skimmed down the page and caught the words 'suspect' and 'kidnapped.' There was a picture of Matt halfway down the article; his face was just as dead as it was in my dream.

In the back of my mind, I was aware of Tanya's hand on my shoulder. The words on the page swirled around in my head and blocked out everything else. I read it again…and again, but it never changed.

The dread was creeping in now; _I_ did this to him.

"Who's Matthew Lawrence?" Tanya's voice chimed from beside me. She was bent over, scrolling through the article I had just read. "Oh," she said after a couple seconds. "This is Matt? The one who helped you?"

I nodded.

Tanya scooped up the laptop in her hands and gestured with the machine for me to follow her. She closed the lid and waited as I slowly pulled myself out of my chair.

"Come on," Tanya said. "The rest of them probably want to hear about this."

I let out a small groan and squeezed my eyes shut. I had somehow forgotten, as I was barricaded inside my room upstairs on the computer, how well vampires could hear. I followed Tanya through the hallway and down the stairs.

On our way down, I let myself feel what I had been suppressing back in my room. I'm not sure what I had been expecting – and to be honest, maybe I didn't _want_ to expect anything. The notion that someone could break into a hospital, without a mask on, and take one of the patients without being seen by a security camera was ridiculous.

Denial, I found, was a powerful thing.

I hadn't wanted to take responsibility for our actions that night. I was too excited to have a body of my own that I threw caution to the wind. Screw what Matt had said – and screw Lori – _I_ should have told them no.

But I didn't, and so whatever happened to the poor man was on me.

We filed into the living room again, like that first meeting. I, of course, sat in the same chair I always did when I was in this room. The rest of the Cullens trickled in after Tanya and me, though Carlisle and Esme were already here.

The laptop was turned this way and that as each person read through the article with shocking speed. The room was quiet, save for the click of the keyboard as the page was scrolled down.

I hesitantly looked up at the family leaders – Carlisle and Esme – expecting to find embarrassed, ashamed, and disapproving looks on their faces. Instead, their brows were scrunched in what looked to be concern.

"This is the man who you first…inhabited?" Carlisle asked, breaking the silence. Emmett snickered, making my face burn with a blush. I nodded at him and shifted in my chair.

"Yeah," I confirmed. "He helped me out so much…" I trailed off, not knowing how I was planning to end the sentence.

"It is…unfortunate that this happened to him," Carlisle shook his head as he flipped through another article.

"I have to fix this," I blurted out, but felt it was the right thing to say. "I could go back to Kansas City and show them that I – that _Emil_ – is fine and not kidnapped."

"Yeah," Emmett boomed. "But then you'd have a bunch of doctors wondering how in the hell you came back from being a vegetable."

I opened my mouth to refute him, to tell him that once they _saw_ that Emil was OK and unharmed, they would let Matt go. But I knew Emmett was right. They had obviously caught him and had evidence that he did it – abducted me. Showing up wouldn't change anything. He still did the crime.

Crime.

The word reminded me that he – we – _had_ taken the poor boy's body. Even if no one was home and there was no sign of life in his empty brain, obviously someone cared for him. Enough to keep his body alive after a regular hospital would have pulled the plug.

Once again, last night's dream flashed through my head. The visions of Emil's parents – of the crash – were so real and _genuine_ that I had to wonder. Was someone really _gone_ when their…soul left their body? If they were hallowed out and their brain was nothing more than a shell, was it possible to still dream?

A shallow wave of revulsion washed over me, making me question if Emil was alive in here or not. I couldn't hear anything and he had never contested me for control of his body, but the dream had shaken me up.

I tuned back into the low murmurs of the Cullen family, who had gone on discussing the situation while I drifted off in my own thoughts. The concern I had been able to see on some of their faces had lessened, and I had the feeling Matt wouldn't be getting his jailbreak any time soon. Rosalie just looked pissed off, though she wouldn't look at me.

I sighed, and looked at Tanya, who seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. She must have felt my gaze, because her eyes shifted to me and she gave me a sad smile. I nodded toward the back door with my head, silently asking if she wanted to go back to the oval clearing. She shrugged in nonchalance, though her smile grew on her face and she nodded.

She moved toward the door and I went toward the stairs so I could put on some warmer clothes, when Jasper moved to block my path and put his hand out to stop me.

"Wait a second," Jasper said, lowering his hand. "This Matt Lawrence; does he know about us?"

"Oh shit," I whispered as my answer. The words slipped out before I could censor myself.

The gentle hum of a few conversations taking place in the same room cut off, leaving a deafening silence in its wake.

"What does he know?" Jasper's voice was hard. I imagined he already knew the answer to his question.

"Everything," I whispered again. Jasper's eyes narrowed and I heard a low growl coming from somewhere in the room. I swallowed and took a step back, suddenly not liking standing in the middle of the room with everyone's eyes on me. "I didn't know at the time," I amended. "How was I supposed to know you were _real_? I thought the crash had somehow erased the books from reality – not dumped me _inside_ them."

"It's understandable," Carlisle interjected. Rosalie hissed, making me flinch. Carlisle ignored her. "And given these new circumstances, I think it's in everyone's best interest to ensure Mr. Lawrence isn't found guilty of kidnapping."

I blew out a sigh of relief and my shoulders sagged. I could feel the sweat building up under my armpits, a testament to how stressed out I was. Carlisle gave Jasper a glance and he nodded.

"I'll take care of it," Jasper told Carlisle as he wrapped his arm around Alice.

"Take care of it?" I repeated with wide eyes, my voice higher than I had intended. Emmett guffawed and Jasper cracked a smile.

"Our lawyer will take care of it," Jasper told me. "No worries."

A second breath flew out of my mouth and I swayed slightly. Tanya nudged me gently, careful not to touch my skin, and gave me an impatient look as she eyed the back door. A low laugh rolled out of my throat and I nodded, finally making it past Jasper and trudging up the stairs to get dressed.

* * *

**End notes:** This was another awkward chapter to write. There were so many things that I had originally written down that I had to change.

I had planned on _Emily_ being the one who replaced Brian in the car, but having it be Emil fit so much better (and made more sense if you haven't read _Immovable Object_).

Davis was supposed to jump into Jasper's body after he would have told Davis he was going to kill Matt, but that seemed a bit repetitive and out of character for Davis.

Anyway, I appreciate all the reviews. It's kind of odd, how this story started out as a lazy, non-serious piece of fiction, and ended up getting more positive feedback than my other stories (maybe even combined, I'd have to check).


	17. Mall Bats

**-Chapter 17: Mall Bats-**

I followed behind the two vampires silently as they strode through the crowd of lazily-walking people. I wasn't worn out yet, but I could tell that ten more minutes of this speed walking crap and I would be begging to sit down.

Suddenly, the small one took off at a dangerously-close-to-inhuman speed in a b-line toward one of the many clothing stores. I snorted out a sad laugh and increased my speed to catch up with the vampire who remained sane enough to not go sprinting toward a store.

"I had read that Alice liked to shop," I said after I caught up with Tanya. "But _Jesus_, she is absolutely _insane_!"

"Don't let her hear you say that," Tanya jested, knowing full well that Alice could hear me.

It had been almost a week since finding out Matt was being charged with kidnapping the body I was wearing, and Tanya had suggested the two of us go down to Anchorage to 'hang out at the mall.' The way she said it, I could tell the line was scripted – probably off of one of the soap operas I had learned the Denali women liked to watch.

She had actually tried to get me to watch an episode of one of them, much to my horror. I only lasted about ten minutes into the 'action' before I had to call it quits and duck out of the room. My grandma used to watch those every day, and I would feel like a jerk asking her to switch the channel whenever I came over, but the things were absolutely _horrible_.

Anyway, this trip was supposed to be just myself and Tanya, but Alice had somehow picked up on the word 'mall' and started to have an epileptic seizure. Well, maybe it wasn't _that_ bad, but she did resemble a five year old when you tell them they can have some candy. It might have been funny if it wasn't so scary.

Needless to say, she had inserted herself into our trip and turned it into a shopping sprint.

By the time we had reached the store Alice had disappeared into, she was nearly finished picking out the selection of clothes. We walked in and took stock of the scene before us.

It was actually quite comical, seeing such a tiny person – easily the height of a middle school girl – with bundles of clothes in her arms, walking toward the cash register. The look of panic on the cashier's face was the straw that broke the camel's back, and I started to shake with quiet laughter. Tanya had a smirk of her own on her face, though she held herself together better than me.

"If you were planning on getting something from this store, you might want to hurry," I said to Tanya as we continued to watch Alice check out her purchases. "Before Alice buys the whole store." Alice sent me a stern look, but it was only half serious.

"No," Tanya said. "I didn't come here to buy anything specific." I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Then what did you come to the mall for?" I asked as the last of Alice's purchases were shoved into the seventh bag.

"I like to people watch," she said, staring into the store at the small cluster of people shopping and interacting with the store clerks. "My sisters and I used to come here and to the few local bars to just watch the humans going about their lives. Of course, sometimes the watching turned into something more _fun_." She smiled to herself as her eyes glazed over in remembrance.

"Right," I gave a small chuckle. "I remember now; you three were the succubus sisters."

"Yeah," Tanya let out a sigh, letting her face morph into a small frown. "We were."

"Ready to go?" Alice chimed, appearing in front of us with her arms full of shopping bags.

"Won't people think it's odd that a girl of your…stature is carrying around seven bags, full to the brim?" I asked as Alice moved toward us, heading for the entryway.

"Are you calling me short?" Alice asked, looking half surprised and half angry at me.

"I only insinuated it," I held up my hands and cringed. A low growl reverberated in Alice's chest for a moment before a grin so wide, it had to be evil, lit up her face.

"You're right, Davis," Alice shook her head. "How silly of me."

And then, before I could actually comprehend what was happening, I found myself holding four of the seven shopping bags – two in each arm. Alice gave one to Tanya and kept the other two for herself. The weight of the clothes pulled on the underutilized muscles of my arms and I let out a frustrated groan. Alice pushed past us and Tanya and I followed; thankfully we moved at a slower pace than last time.

As I followed the dwarf around the mall, I began to berate myself for opening my mouth and letting my naturally sarcastic personality out. It was a well known fact in my family that I was a bit of an asshole who usually had a smart-mouth comment for any situation – ready to go. The problem was, I was only this way with people I _knew_.

My parents thought I was autistic – I think the word they used was Aspergers Syndrome – as well as a bit odd. Brian called me a sociopath, but I honestly didn't think I was – but then again what sociopath does? I mean, I _missed_ my brother, so I couldn't be that far gone. Right?

Regardless of what was wrong with me, the reality of the situation was that I had a tendency to make fun of those I was comfortable with. The thought was a bit of a shock. Had I actually started to _trust_ the Cullens?

I let out a small laugh at the thought of getting comfortable around people – vampires – I had read about in a book series. Tanya turned to look at me, giving me a 'are you OK?' face that made me feel like I was crazy. I shrugged her off and continued to march after Alice.

Luckily, a few stores later my stomach made rumbling sounds, signifying a break from Alice to eat lunch. Alice and Tanya took the bags I was still managing to hold onto and left me to find some food to eat, while they deposited their clothes and stuff in the SUV we came in. I walked in the direction of the wonderful smell of food, flexing my forearms to get rid of the stiff ache that had set in from holding the weight of the shopping bags for over half an hour.

There wasn't a _huge_ crowd, like I had expected. But that might have been because it was 1:30, past lunch time in most circles. I meandered past the various selections – Chinese, a Subway, Indian food, and finally a Burger King. It wasn't exactly what I was hoping for, but it was a change from the Esme-prepared dishes I ate once a day and the various pre-packaged foods I shared with Jacob.

I reached into the front pocket of my jeans and pulled out the slim wad of twenties as I walked toward the Burger King, trying not to cringe at the smell of nearly-stale burgers and fries.

Carlisle had offered me some money when he learned Tanya and I were going to the mall. I didn't reject it like I probably should have pretended to; I thanked him and stuffed the money away.

I recalled a half-remembered conversation with my cousin, Brandon, on our way to a movie one night. He had asked us who the richest fictional character was – which was in-and-of-itself a horrible question, since it involves _fictional_ characters and _fictional_ money. Brian had guessed Batman and I had put in for Iron Man, confidant that one of us would get it right.

We were both wrong, apparently.

I don't remember the exact number he quoted – though he did bring it up on his phone – but it was _Carlisle Cullen_ who was credited as being the most wealthy fictional character in all of…fiction. It wasn't even a close contest, either; the guy had more than Tony Stark _and_ Bruce Wayne, combined.

So, when he handed me a few hundred dollars, no, I didn't throw a hissy fit or act like it was a big deal. What he gave me was less than pocket change to him.

I was very nearly finished with my burger, having already cleaned out the fries, when the two vampires returned to the food court. Their familiar pulses of energy were like a warm blanket in the midst of the crowded area. I glanced up as they approached my table, nearly choking on the remainder of my burger as I caught sight of the effect the vampires were having on the shoppers around me.

It was…humorous, I suppose, the way everyone's eyes followed their lithe movements. Not a single person I could see was being subtle about it either; it was a full-on gawkfest. I had no doubt that I could get away with streaking through the floor of the food court and no one would cast me a glance. It was fun to watch everyone's head's turn all at once to follow their movements…until Alice and Tanya sat down at _my_ table.

My body froze and I could feel the heat building up in my face from so many eyes looking my way. I knew they weren't looking at _me_; they were obviously eye raping Alice and Tanya. But they were only a couple feet away from me and I felt uncomfortable anyway.

I looked down at the table and took a small pull from my drink, desperate to look anywhere but at the wondering eyes. Honestly, if I wouldn't look crazy doing it I would have shut my eyes completely and continued my meal blind.

"So, are you having fun, Davis?" Tanya asked, and I could hear the smirk in her voice. I released the straw and gave a low chuckle.

"The most fun, ever," I replied, earning a snicker back from Tanya.

"But you haven't even _bought_ anything!" Alice complained, as if it were a crime.

_As if I had a _chance_ to buy anything with the energizer bunny leading the pack._

"I've noticed," I rolled my eyes, holding in my newfound witty remarks.

"Well, I have more shopping to do," Alice informed us, as if we didn't already know. "If I don't get to the next store in three minutes, the shoes I wanted will be sold out. We'll meet back here in…" Alice paused as her eyes glazed over. "…two hours."

"See you later, Alice," Tanya waved her off.

Abruptly, I let out a sigh as my shoulders sagged from relief. I didn't mean it to come out so audible, but Tanya pursed her lips together as she looked at me.

"I would ask if she's always like this," I said, leaning back in my chair and relaxing as I finished off the last of my drink. "But I already know. No wonder Bella complained so much." I shook my head.

"Yes, well, she did have a point," Tanya shifted in her seat. "You haven't bought anything."

"Lunch," I held up my empty cup. "You were the one who used the words 'hang out,' and not 'shop.'"

"That's true," Tanya nodded. "And I suppose you didn't really have a chance…what with Alice and all."

"No, not really," I agreed.

"Well, if you're finished, let's go check out the rest of the mall at a slower pace," Tanya said, standing from her seat. "We have nearly two hours to burn!"

I cracked a small smile and stood up as well, bringing my tray to one of the many trash cans before following Tanya out of the food court. We walked at a brisk pace down a section of the mall I hadn't encountered with Alice yet, and it was immediately apparent how much more comfortable it was without Alice pushing the envelope and firing on all engines.

The first shop we entered was called, cheesily enough, _Fire and Ice_. It was a sort of new-age, crystal ball type store that reminded me of one of the shops I liked to visit in St. Louis. There were statues and weapons made of various metals and minerals littered about the walls, and _of course_ they had a vast crystal collection.

This wasn't the sort of store where I would think about buying anything, though. It was simply relaxing to stare at the way some of the objects were forged together and how others reflected the light. It wasn't as brilliant as vampire skin, but it still felt very _Zen_.

The next place we stopped was a clothing store. At least, that's what I thought it was at first. It was some sort of leather shop that offered leather jackets, shoes, pants, and even wallets and belts. The smell of the leather was heavy and inviting, and even Tanya seemed to appreciate the aroma.

I left Tanya's side to investigate the coats and jackets that lined the back wall. The burgundy, brown, and black tones of the clothing softly reflected the overhead lights, giving the shop a warm atmosphere it wouldn't have had otherwise.

One of the jackets was nearly the right color to be the one worn by Wolverine in _X-Men_, though it was missing the three light stripes on the arms. Another one beside it was a deep black with striking, white stripes lining the arms. My hands brushed over the hide and the price tag fell into view, prompting me to back away and never touch it again.

Leather was _expensive_.

I strolled back through the racks of leather clothing, careful not to brush any with my arm for fear that I might damage something accidentally and be forced to pay an outrageous amount of money to cover it. As I approached the checkout counter, I realized Tanya was in the process of purchasing something.

The clerk took her card and swiped it through, handing it back to her along with a receipt. Tanya grabbed the small, paper bag and gave a small 'thanks' before walking over to me.

"I didn't know you were into leather," I said as we walked out of the store and into the light traffic of human bodies shuffling about.

"What you don't know about me could fill a book," Tanya snarked playfully. "Besides, it's not for me; it's for you."

"Please don't be a leather whip, please don't be a leather whip," I chanted under my breath, causing Tanya to laugh and shake her head.

"It was tempting," she said. "But I got you something a bit more useful – at least for right now."

I followed her over to one of the rest areas that were scattered about the mall, planted in the middle of the walking path where the kiosks usually sat. Tanya took a seat in one of the chairs and I sat in the one next to her. She placed the paper bag on the small table in front of the chairs and opened it, shuffling the thin, white paper stuffing out of the way and pulling out the leather item.

"Gloves?" I asked, a mixture of confusion and gratitude; it did get awfully cold in Alaska.

They were a deep black color – the same hue as the jacket I had examined inside the shop – with petite, intricate stitching that attached the pieces of leather together. The gloves themselves were smaller than I had imagined they should be, since I had owned a pair back in my world for when the weather got exceptionally cold.

These, though, didn't look like they would keep my hands warm. Or, rather, they weren't _designed_ to keep my hands warm. They were more sleek and less insulated. Tanya expertly snapped the small bit of plastic that attached the two gloves together and handed them to me.

"Try them on," Tanya prompted. I slid them onto my hands, shocked that they fit, since they had looked too small before I had tried them on.

I flexed my hands and watched as the leather pulled tight across my knuckles. I wiggled my fingers, realizing I had nearly full dexterity in them. The expression _like a glove_ came to mind, and I mentally agreed with the sentiment.

"Thank you, Tanya," I said. "These are…awesome." Tanya smiled and suddenly, her hand darted out and snatched my own in her grasp. I flinched and tried to pull my hand out of her iron grasp, not wanting to body jump in a crowded area – much less at all – when I realized nothing had happened.

I looked down at our conjoined hands in awe. Tanya's snow white hand was clasped in mine, the stark shading more apparent against the contrasting obsidian of the gloves. I let out a short burst of a laugh, suddenly realizing the significance of the gift Tanya had given me. My eyes met hers, though I couldn't speak any words.

"Well, finally!" Tanya rolled her eyes, though she held a smile on her face. She moved my hand up and down in hers, giving me a firm handshake. "Hi Davis, I am Tanya. It is nice to meet you."

My control finally snapped and I let out a loud burst of laughter, which echoed against the concrete floor of the mall. Tanya pulled me up and out of my chair, tugging me along as we left the rest area and continued down a stretch of the mall we had already sprinted past with Alice.

* * *

**End notes:** Another chapter, just for you.

I had originally wanted to explore a bit of Tanya's past, since it's mostly been glossed over and all that's been talked about is Davis' history. It didn't quite fit in this chapter, but it will be covered later. I promise.

I am..._hesitant_ as I bring the characters closer and closer to some sort of romance. I realize that _Twilight_ has always been a romance story, but it just seems awkward for me to try to write. I'll try though. For you. I just don't want it to turn into some sort of sappy, overly cliche plot monster filled with soft porn. If that's your sort of thing, sorry.

I don't know if I've covered this in a previous end note, but I am in the process of beginning to write a AU story from Bella's perspective. I've only done Original Characters so far, so this will be an adventure, for sure. I'll have more details on it later on if you're interested.

We're done here.


	18. There Are Two of Us in Here Now

**-Chapter 18: There Are Two of Us in Here Now-**

"So wait," Kate asked. "They were luring young girls away by telling them they were vampires?"

"Yeah," I nodded, popping another candy apple flavored piece of candy into my mouth. "That, and lame poetry. It's actually very similar to this episode – except for vampires instead of zombies."

Before I left the mall, Tanya had suggested I buy _something_ for the drip down to Anchorage. Luckily, we had come across a video store, and I was able to pick up the sixth season of _Supernatural_ on DVD. It seemed fitting somehow, seeing as that one episode helped me realize what had really happened to me. I was also curious as to how that one change affected the rest of the season.

So far, the small differences were subtle, save for the one episode. Certain lines were changed and every so often there would be a scene I didn't remember, but the storyline remained intact.

"Lame poetry?" Edward asked seriously, and I had to snicker as I remembered how the writers made fun of Edward's habit of sneaking into Bella's room at night to watch her sleep.

_"How is that not rape-y?"_ Dean's voice played in my head.

"What I don't get is how you can call my soap operas horrible and revere this garbage," Tanya snarked from beside me, her body's chill seeping through my jeans from how close we were sitting on the couch.

"How can you say that?" I said in my most fake-dramatic voice I could muster. "I trusted you, and you say something like _that_? We're through!" I turned my head to the side in a huff of air and forced a frown on my face, though it probably looked like I was getting assaulted by a clown from how hard my smirk was trying to break through my façade.

Surprisingly, it was Bella who was the first to crack, sending melodic waves of laughter into the room. Kate, Garrett, and Edward joined in as well, leaving Tanya alone to sulk in silence. I was pretty sure I saw a ghost of a smile on her face, though, but it shifted so fast I might have been mistaken.

After the episode was finished and I had eaten all of my candy, Tanya got up to switch off the TV and remove the DVD before plopping back down next to me on the couch. There were a few seconds of silence, which I used to space out and mentally replay some of my memories of Matt and I watching TV.

Jasper's lawyer, who I soon recalled from the books and movie, was _very_ efficient at what he did. Matthew Lawrence was a free man, as of ten hours ago. I didn't press for details, though I couldn't help but wonder how Jenks got the hospital to let the disappearance go – not to mention the police and whoever was keeping Emil alive.

"You know," Edward said, breaking the comfortable silence. "Carlisle was extremely frustrated he wasn't home to see you use your abilities on Rosalie."

I turned my head to look at him, raising my eyebrows to let him know he should continue.

"He's been thinking about it quite a bit," Edward sighed. "And I know he'd never ask you to do it again, but he is _terribly_ curious to see your body jumping trick."

"'s not a trick," I huffed quietly to myself. "So, is this your subtle way of asking me if I'll 'use my abilities' again so Carlisle can study it?"

"It could be good for you to learn how to control your ability," Edward gestured to my gloved hands. "Maybe you could learn to get by without wearing those. It wouldn't be dangerous to your body, either; it would be put on life support until you wanted to jump back."

"I'm having a hard time understanding why _you_ are trying to convince me to body jump again," I frowned and shifted in my seat, my arm brushing against Tanya's ice-cold leg. "I would have expected it from Emmett or Jacob, but not from you."

"Emmett fantasized about your ability for several days after he helped Rose calm down," Edward grinned. "And I have to admit, some of the things he thought up got me curious as well."

"I'm hesitant to ask," I chuckled and shook my head. "Fine, fine," I sighed. "I suppose it couldn't hurt anything to try it again."

"Famous last words," Bella said softly.

* * *

Carlisle was ecstatic, of course, after I convinced him I was one-hundred-percent OK with trying out my ability. He told me – more than once – that I 'didn't have to do this,' but he didn't hide his stoked expression very well. He strapped some more monitoring equipment onto my chest and hand as he hummed about the machines, which he had moved back into my room. My IV line was already set and I was simply waiting for the go-ahead to body jump.

"Are you ready?" Carlisle asked me, folding his hands behind his back.

I nodded, and glanced around the room again. A large gathering of vampires – and Jacob and Renesmee – had gathered in my room as well, leaving very little space with all the hospital equipment. Bella, Edward, Emmett, Tanya, and Eleazar were also here. I wasn't surprised Rosalie wasn't – in fact, I was a bit relieved.

"Alright, Davis," Carlisle prompted, moving closer to my bedside. "Who would you like to…jump to?" My eyebrows rose at his question.

"Uh," I froze. "It…really doesn't matter to me, Carlisle. I was under the impression that _you_ wanted to…host me?" It came out as a question.

"Well, yes," Carlisle pursed his lips and looked down. "But Emmett is far more…vocal with his excitement about having you in his head."

"We'll take turns," I shrugged in the bed. "I'll start with you, if that's alright?" Carlisle nodded. "And then you can…pass me off to another person. Kind of like hot potato." I smiled and Emmett let out a booming laugh, rubbing his hands together.

"Emmett," Edward smirked. "I don't think it'll be _quite_ like that."

"Like what?" Tanya asked, nearly glaring at Emmett.

"Emmett's just been playing too much Halo," Edward shook his head. "He is under the impression having Davis in his head will parallel Cortana inside Master Chief's helmet."

"That's a little…fucked up," I stared at Emmett in a mixture of concern and fear. Mostly fear. He wouldn't try to reenact scenes from the game, would he?

"Nice!" Jacob grinned at the same time Bella muttered "Stupid."

"Right," Carlisle cleared his throat and extended his hand to me, his eyes dancing with mirth. "Shall we begin, Cortana?"

"Sure thing, Chief," I rolled my eyes and clasped his ice-cold hand in mine.

The old, familiar rush of the pulse connecting our minds filled me. My mind disconnected from Emil's body and I fell through the darkness, emerging on the other side within the blink of an eye. My vision jolted into high definition and the world's volume cranked it to eleven as I – we – held Emil's hand.

The empty shell that was just me lolled his head to the side and collapsed flat on the bed, his eyes half closed and a blank expression on his face. Carlisle released his hold on the warm hand and stepped back, pausing for a moment as his thoughts flickered through his head – _our_ head.

"Davis?" Carlisle said aloud. "Are you…here?" Our eyes darted around the room, as though he might see me lurking in the corner.

_I'm here_, I thought to him. _I can hear your thoughts while I'm riding in your head, so you only need to think it for me to hear it._

_You can hear this?_ Carlisle's thoughts whispered through his mind. I gave a mental nod.

_Yes._

_Edward, are you able to hear Davis or me?_ Carlisle's eyes darted to the telepath, who's eyebrows were scrunched together in either frustration or concentration. Maybe both.

"Barely," Edward replied. "The same static that was around Davis is coming off of you, now. Your thoughts are…distant and slightly masked from the static Davis' mind seems to gives off."

"Are you able to hear Davis' thoughts?" Carlisle questioned, moving away from Emil's body after he was sure it was stable.

"I'm not sure," Edward hesitated. "I…don't think so. Davis, can you think something to me?"

_I like turtles_, I jested. Carlisle's mouth turned up and a laugh threatened to bubble out of his throat.

"Hah," Edward smiled as he stared, unfocused, at the wall behind us. "I heard you, but I don't think I was hearing _you_, Davis. It sounded more like an echo of the thought – very weak."

"I heard the thought as well," Carlisle supplied. "Perhaps it was my mind you heard Davis' thought from?"

"It's possible," Edward mused for a moment before shaking his head. "Well, anyway, now that we know Davis and yourself are alright, we're going for a hunt." Edward wrapped his arms around Bella and the two of them darted off downstairs.

Jacob, Renesmee, and Emmett left as well, leaving only Eleasar and Tanya with us. Eleazar stared at us rather intently, a small smile forming on his lips the longer he looked. Tanya looked like she was trying to solve a puzzle as she gazed at Carlisle and me, but she didn't vocalize whatever was on her mind.

"I never thought I'd see the day when Carlisle Cullen had a gift," Eleazar shook his head and the grin that was slowly growing spread out into a full smile as he moved closer to us.

"Gift," Carlisle laughed. "What are you talking about?"

"The gift I could see in Davis," Eleazar gestured to the immobile body on the bed. "It now resides in you. It's obvious the gift is linked to Davis' energy – his soul or spirit, if you will – but my gift still sees _you_ as the one who is talented, my friend."

"This is quite exciting, I must admit," Carlisle said. "I wonder what would happen if he were to possess a gifted vampire." Carlisle mused away, rubbing our chin. "Would you see both gifts with your talent, Eleazar?"

_Oh, God. Please not Alice,_ I moaned. Carlisle pursed his lips to keep from laughing as Eleazar opened his mouth to reply.

"We will have to wait and see."

The two of them talked for a few more seconds while I took a step back and examined the new play place I had to roam around in. I had felt the vastness of Rosalie's mind when I had possessed her for those few moments, but it was fleeting. I hadn't had the opportunity to _really_ dig in and see what being a vampire was all about.

On the surface, the senses were startling. Everything was so vivid and in-your-face, that it made the normal, human senses I was used to seem half-formed and unfinished. I now knew why Bella had described her human memories as murky in the books. It wasn't that they were fading away – well, at least _mine_ weren't yet – it was the ridiculous gap between the two experiences.

It was like trying to compare the picture of a big screen, HDTV to a black and white, 9-inch TV set. _Ridiculous_.

It was _large_ in here as well. If I could physically walk around inside Carlisle's head, it would be at least twenty times the size of the average human one. Probably more, but then again I didn't have much experience inside a vampire's head to really compare.

Multitasking was the norm, it seemed, for vampires. Complete thoughts could run simultaneously next to another inside Carlisle's head, as though he were a schizophrenic or had multiple personalities that were all thinking at once. It wasn't cluttered, though; each thread was easy to follow and understand.

"Would you care to go out on a run with us, Tanya?" Carlisle asked. "I am sure Davis would love to experience the speed vampires can reach." I mentally chuckled out my assent as Tanya nodded.

"I'd love to," Tanya smiled. "Oh, and I call dibs on Davis next."

"NO!" Emmett exclaimed from somewhere on another floor of the mansion. Our lips turned up in a smirk as I considered I wouldn't have heard that without Carlisle's super-hearing.

_Tell him I'll let him take me for a spin after he gets those Halo fantasies out of his head. It's really kind of creepy._

"Emmett," Carlisle called in a normal voice. "Davis is…" Carlisle cut himself off, his thoughts unsure as to how to call his son's fantasies creepy.

"Later, Emmett," Tanya rolled her eyes and unlatched my bedroom window, leaping out of it and into the Alaskan wilderness.

"Right," Carlisle mumbled to himself as we followed her outside.

We took off then, running stupidly fast through the trees and mounds of snow. The large pines flew by us as we raced on, distorting the sound of the air with a 'whoosh' as each one passed. The sound of it was like a ceiling fan running on high, so rapidly we moved.

"I suppose this is the best time to speak with you privately, Davis," Carlisle murmured as we ran. "Esme and I didn't want to suffocate you in the beginning, while everyone was so focused on figuring out a way for you to return to your own world.

"But…now that it seems you may very well never return to your own home," Carlisle slowed his speed, running slightly faster than a human sprint. "I wanted to offer you a permanent place with us."

My doubt and unworthiness must have seeped out into Carlisle's mind, because he shook his head and slowed down even further. We walked lazily through the forest, now.

"No," Carlisle said. "You do deserve it and this is not out of pity. Davis, you do have a place with us; even if you don't believe it."

I showed him images of Rosalie, completely savage in her contempt for me. I showed him the stoic and suspicious looks Jasper gave me during the few weeks I had been here. Eleazar, too, showed up, along with my fear of the Volturi finding out about my _gift_ and coming after Carlisle's family.

"You should know that Rosalie hated Bella as well, at first," Carlisle sighed. "And Jasper is a naturally suspicious man. Both will warm up to you, if you give them the chance. Jasper and Alice were outsiders once, as well; you are no less deserving of a home than they are."

_I'll think about it_, I eventually replied, but really, I just wanted him to drop the subject. Carlisle nodded to himself and we again began to streak forward in a blur of vampiric speed.

The sweet smell of Tanya – so close to the scent of fresh apples, though not quite – registered in my mind, though it had been present in Carlisle's since we had jumped from the window. I only just realized that we were following a _smell_ and not Tanya herself, who was far enough ahead to be out of eyesight.

Tracking hadn't been something I had given a lot of thought to when I was reading the books. I understood vampires had an amazing sense of smell, but it was always beyond me as to _how_ it worked or felt to be able to identify and locate things by smell alone.

The experience was familiar to me, though it was also exceedingly different. It was similar to following the scent of a baking pie to find your grandma cooking in the kitchen – the scent got stronger as you followed along the correct path. It was different, in that the changes in scent were so _vast_. If I were to move to the left, even a meter or two, Tanya's scent would fade minutely – though not insubstantially.

Eventually, we caught up to the blonde-haired vampire, who was sitting atop one of the taller trees. Without missing a beat, Carlisle climbed swiftly up the trunk of the tree, our fingers leaving shallow indentions in the wood as we scrambled up like some kind of Spider-Man. Or, perhaps Venom would be the more appropriate character, given my state.

"So," Tanya said, staring off into the horizon. "How's having a human inside your head, Carlisle?" I could hear the smile in her voice even though I couldn't see her face.

"Strange," Carlisle said after a second. "And extraordinary, of course. I suppose this is similar to what Edward experiences daily, though on a significantly smaller scale."

_Yes. There's only one person in your head instead of a whole family._

"Indeed," Carlisle agreed quietly.

"Crazy's a good look for you, my friend," Tanya turned to look at us, the dim light refracting dully off of her cheek.

"Yes, well," Carlisle shook his head. "I am not yet acquainted to having conversation inside my head. Forgive me." Carlisle gave her a small smile and shifted our weight on the branch we were crouching on, moving closer to Tanya.

"I was surprised your lovely mate wasn't with you today," Tanya said. "Or did you not tell her of your and Davis' little experiment?"

"Of course I did," Carlisle nodded his head and a wave of embarrassment flowed through our minds. "She was, of course, hesitant in allowing me to host Davis – even for a short period. She decided to go on a shopping trip with Alice."

A brief flash of me – or, Carlisle, I suppose – flashed through our linked minds. Images of Esme, naked and rubbing up against me, holding me close. The pictures started to break and fragment, slipping into the recesses of Carlisle's mind, where I was unable to enter. Not that I would _want_ to. I shook the sight from my head and blanked my mind, trying to forget what Carlisle had let slip.

_You were afraid of…uh…_being_ with Esme with me still inside your head?_

Carlisle ducked his head slightly, though it was enough, and another wave of embarrassment rolled through our head.

"That's where Kate must have gone," Tanya replied, knocking Carlisle's mental state back on track and out of the gutter.

"Right," he affirmed, letting the silence continue to build.

_Wow, this isn't awkward at all,_ I mused to Carlisle. _Why don't I give Tanya a chance to take me for a spin?_

"That's probably best," Carlisle agreed aloud, causing Tanya's head to turn. "If you're planning on staying outside of your – or, Emil's, rather – body, I'll need to set up a catheter."

I couldn't help but cringe, causing Carlisle's nose to wrinkle from the strength of my discomfort. I silently agreed. The thought of having the opportunity to experience the life of a vampire – of several vampires – without the risk of losing my independence was exciting. It was well worth a catheter – in fact, I wouldn't even be _in_ the body to complain about it.

"Would you like your turn, Tanya," Carlisle extended his hand to the vampire. "I actually _do_ have to be back rather quickly; it's already been almost two hours since we left the body to come out here."

I had expected excitement or even mischief to play across her face, but Tanya displayed neither. She looked hesitant and a bit…worried? It was a fleeting expression; come and gone so fast it could hardly have been said to have occurred at all. With a newly-set determined look, she clasped her hand in ours and I let myself slide through the void.

"Do you have him?" Carlisle asked from beside us, once the black faded into colors again. Tanya's mind turned in on itself, searching for me inside her head.

_I'm here, Tanya_, I said, causing her to still her breathing.

"He's in my head," Tanya nodded, feeling a bit dazed. Carlisle nodded back and grasped the limb he was crouching on.

"Good, well, I'll be off then," he gave us a small smile before leaping from the tree and darting off the way we came.

Tanya let out a sigh, and immediately a rough sensation in our throat drew my attention. It ebbed and waned as we breathed, though it never seemed to permanently settle down in its intensity. It was a dry, crackling, aching sensation, and I suddenly knew what it was that was wrong.

This was a vampire's thirst for blood.

The thought and the sensation itself shocked me, as it was only covered fleetingly in the books – mostly in _Breaking Dawn_. For all the violence and growling and fighting in the book series, there were only a couple times or so at the end of the last book where the reader got to experience hunting. The burning was more of an itch, though, and I wondered if that was because Tanya was so old – apparently over a thousand years.

"Well," Tanya said aloud. "Shall we go to the clearing?" The smirk that she wore on our face could have been my own, and soon we were following Carlisle's example and leaping from the tree.

The oval clearing seemed different as we threaded our way through the thick forest and arrived at the sparse cluster of trees. Perhaps it was the point of view I was viewing it from – the eyes of a vampire – but some of that _different_ feeling seemed to be coming from within Tanya's thoughts.

As we perched on the familiar rock formation on one end of the oval, I sifted through the surface of Tanya's mind. She was…happy. No, that wasn't the right word – warm? It was a strange mixture of comfort and familiarity.

There was also an air of dread and disbelief. Both were buried deeply and obscured by the more happy thoughts and feelings. I could only get brief, washed out pictures from her thoughts. Of Alice and Edward talking lowly to her – though I could not hear any words. I pulled myself from those thoughts, afraid to invade her mind more than I already had.

"Can I ask you a question?" Tanya spoke, breaking up whatever residual pieces of the odd feelings were left floating around in her head.

_You just did_, I cheekily replied. Tanya smirked and leaned back on the rock, staring up at the canopy. _Of course you can ask me a question_.

"If you were able," Tanya said. "Would you return to your world?"

_It's not possible_, I replied immediately. _Even Carlisle cannot find anything._

"Say it was," Tanya sighed. "Say you had the opportunity to go back to your world, completely intact – in your own body. Would you do it?"

_I…don't know_, I whispered.

At first, I would have said no. I was so enamored with this fictional world, made real, that I needed to explore it. After a while, the novelty of it wore off, leaving the stark reality that while, yes, vampires and shape shifters were real, life still dragged on in a mundane pace. I found myself wanting to get off the ride and return to my regular scheduled programming.

It was only now, understanding the familial connection the members of Carlisle's coven shared, that I was left confused. Emmett and Jacob were _fun_ to be around. They liked video games; I liked video games. Even Edward and Jasper could occasionally be fun to be around, though I wasn't much into playing the piano or reading about the civil war.

Tanya was on a whole different level, though. If I had to be completely honest, it was probably her that had me so conflicted. I enjoyed being around her, sometimes talking and other times simply just being in the same room together.

I wasn't so on guard around her like I was the other vampires. If I were able to leave this place and return to the mundane life I once knew, I would truly mourn her.

* * *

**End notes:** Well there you go, both a _Spider-Man_ and _Halo_ reference. Crazy.

The climax of the story is coming up, so if you are getting comfortable reading about Davis and Tanya being friendly and stuff, not a care in the world, well...there's not much more of that. I'm not sure how many more chapters it'll be until the finale, but probably more than five, I would think. Yes. Definitely more than five.

Also, a new idea for a sort-of one shot type of fanfiction came to me. I don't know when I'll get the chance to write it down, but it seems like a _really_ good idea inside my head; we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?


	19. Happy Holidays

**-Chapter 19: Happy Holidays-**

I spent nearly a week outside Emil's body, moving from vampire to vampire to, occasionally, a human-vampire hybrid. Rosalie outright refused and Jasper was extremely hesitant at first, though with Alice's prodding he eventually gave in after Emmett got his turn.

Emmett wasn't nearly as bad as I thought, and I had the feeling he was intentionally trying to scare me – before _and_ during our bonding time. He had taken our shared selves hunting for bears, eager to show off, no doubt. It was…actually kind of awesome to fight a bear with my own hands. The physical power and speed were amazing; more concentrated and raw while we were hunting.

The blood was less of an issue than I imagined it would be, thankfully. It made sense after I had time to think about it; I _was_ whatever I was possessing, be it human or vampire, so of course blood would appeal to me – us – as it also appealed to Emmett.

The gifted vampires…those were an experience, for sure. Eleazar had told me he _could_ still read my ability on the individual who was hosting me, though the strength of the 'signal' was diminished. He said it was as though the two abilities were fighting for dominance, neither strong enough to give the ex-Volturi guard a clear reading.

I could still _feel_ those gifts, though. Alice's gift made me feel like Mad Eye Moody, from the _Harry Potter_ book series, with one part of our minds focused on the here and now, and another part experiencing flashes of the future. That was one of the more distracting abilities to deal with, and my respect for the waifish vampire rose considerably.

Edward and Jasper's abilities worked similarly to each other, and I was able to experience the thoughts and emotions of others while I possessed their respective bodies. My encounter with those two was brief, however, since, although their abilities weren't as distracting as Alice's, they were a bit too mentally stimulating for me to deal with for a long period of time.

Bella and Jacob were surprises for all of us, since I was able to possess Bella, but not Jacob. Bella's mind was just as open and easy to access as any other, much to her dismay. Since Bella was normally immune to mental talents, it was a bit of a puzzle as to how I was able to hijack her mind.

I take back what I said earlier; _I_ wasn't surprised that Jacob was immune to my body snatching power. From the beginning, his…mind, I guess, never gave off that signature pulse that all other humans and vampires emitted. Without the pulse, I couldn't jump to a new host.

Carlisle was flabbergasted; quick to jump into research but slow to find anything. He thought – and I agreed – it was something to do with being a shape shifter that allowed him to resist my power since I never had any trouble with humans or vampires. But, without another Quileute to test on, it was only an estimated guess.

"You're not trying to rewrite it completely or something, are you?" Emmett asked as he walked into the room with a box full of ornaments and those long, colorful strands of fuzzy material.

I cracked my fingers as I adjusted my grip on the pen in my hand, trying to relieve the cramp that had been steadily building. I pressed the tip of it to the pad of paper for hopefully the last time, trying to make sure I had covered everything important. My shoulders slumped and I set the paper and pen down on the coffee table in front of me, flipping the cover up and marveling at how much I was able to write down.

"Just the important stuff," I corrected. "I may have gone a bit overboard, but I wanted to be thorough."

Tanya came in after Emmett, carrying an armful of boxes, herself. She deposited them neatly on the floor, in contrast to Emmett's haphazard cluster of cardboard, and flitted over to my side. She gestured to the pad and I nodded, allowing her to take a look at it. I probably should have let Bella look at it first, since the books were mostly told from her perspective, but there wasn't anything personal on the pad of paper.

"Are you sure about this?" Tanya asked, pointing to one of the first lines I had written. "I thought the books were from Bella's point of view; how would she know something like this that Carlisle and I didn't know?"

"It wasn't in the books," I shook my head, trying to remember where I had read that bit of trivia. "The author posted extra stuff on her website, so it might have been there."

Honestly, I was a bit worried that some of the information might have been wrong. While I was _pretty_ sure Aro killed his sister, diddy…dideme…I can never remember how to spell or pronounce that damn name. While I was pretty sure he killed _her_, I was hesitant to write it down for fear it was actually something I had read in a fanfiction.

That had actually happened. I had been reading a few stories back to back, all detailing Peter's ability to, and I quote from the numerous fanfictions, "know shit." Somewhere down the line, a cult following of fanfiction writers apparently seemed to agree that Jasper's brother needed an ability, and granted him the power to know things.

It was complete hogwash, of course. I had asked Jasper, who just cocked an eyebrow at me and shook his head like I had told him I had built a robot out of chocolate.

"What wasn't in the books?" Carlisle questioned as he followed Esme to the growing pile of boxes, setting his load down on the floor as well. "The books about us, you mean?"

"Yes," Tanya answered as she flipped through the pages, somehow comprehending my chicken scratch handwriting. "And it looks like you were right about Siobhan, Carlisle." She held the pad out to the blond vampire and he took it from her, flipping through the pages and settling on the one Tanya was just looking at.

"So she _does_ have an ability," Carlisle mused, putting on a small, smug smile on his face. "You're sure?" He directed the question at me.

"That's what it said in the back of the last book," I shrugged. "There was a whole index of vampires and their extra abilities. If they had one, there was an asterisk next to their name – there was one on hers."

"Awesome," Emmett said, peering over Carlisle's shoulder to read. "What else is in there? Anything on me?" Emmett's grin was infectious, and I gave one of my own in reply.

"No, sorry," I said to the huge vampire. "It has stuff in it that wasn't common knowledge to your family at the time. Details on Victoria's newborn army and some extra stuff that wasn't in the books – like Aro killing his sister." I paused to consider what else I had written. "Actually, most of the stuff in there has to do with the newborn army. The author of the books made an entire novella dedicated to Bree's life and death."

"Wasn't that the girl who Felix killed?" Emmett questioned, causing Carlisle's face to flinch at the reminder. I nodded my head.

"You wouldn't mind if I looked over this, would you, Davis?" Carlisle asked, closing the pad as if just realizing he had already been reading parts of it. I huffed out a small laugh.

"That's what I wrote it down for."

* * *

The assembly of vampires surrounding me had quickly dissolved after a few more moments, and everyone went back to doing whatever they were doing before they flocked to my 'prophecy book,' as Emmett had dubbed it.

It took me a few minutes to realize the reason the Cullens were dragging in ornaments, decorations, and other Christmas stuff was because it was Chrismas Eve.

The holiday came as a shock for several reasons. I couldn't comprehend the loss of time I had experienced while living with the Cullens – had it really been over a month since I had been here? The constant snow and chilled temperatures outside gave no hints as to the changing seasons – at least regarding the transition from autumn to winter.

And then there was the fact that the Cullens were setting up the Christmas decorations the _day_ before Christmas. I asked Tanya about this, and she told me this was the way it was usually done when the Cullens were with her and her coven in Alaska. Christmas gifts would be exchanged tonight and then tomorrow would be an extended hunt for the vampires.

Tanya and I remained seated on the couch while the Cullens and the Denali coven whipped around the room, setting up decorations and transforming the room into a Christmas paradise before my very eyes.

We had celebrated the holidays back in my world with my family, but it was nothing like this. We would put up a tree, sure, and decorate it with lights and ornaments. But what the Cullens put together looked like something out of a catalogue or a movie. There were colors, bright lights, and tinsel _everywhere_.

Suddenly, Tanya grasped my gloved hand in her own and pulled me off the couch, tugging me toward the center of the swarm. I let out a huff and followed obediently after her, knowing there was no way I could overpower her hold.

Though I was more of a hindrance than a help, I put in my fair share of work in the decoration of the massive evergreen tree Jasper and Emmett had brought inside. The thing was at least twenty feet tall, and we had to use ladders – or, for those of us who had supernatural strength, leaps into the air – just to reach the bottom-mid section of the tree.

The entire process took about an hour to get everything completely set up – presents and all – but it felt like only a few minutes to me. I sat back down with Tanya in our usual spot and leaned into her side, relishing the cold that radiated off her as it soothed my overheated body. My borrowed host body might have gotten stronger as I used the muscles daily, but it was still not as strong or durable as my _own_ body, and was quick to tire.

As I caught my breath, Esme blurred back into the room carrying a two bottles of Coke for Jake and me, since we were the only two who _could_ drink them. Well, I suppose Renesmee could as well, but I had never seen her eat anything; she must prefer to hunt. I screwed off the top and guzzled down a mouthful of the soda, leaning into the couch as the invigorating liquid went down my throat.

A bit later on, the gathering grew until everyone was sitting or standing in the living area. They didn't make a procession out of it, though; much to my relief, since I didn't even get anyone anything. The larger group dissolved into several smaller clusters, mine holding Tanya, Kate, and Garrett.

Garrett seemed to be a milder version of Emmett – playful and fun to be around without the over-the-top childishness and mischievousness the large Cullen was known for. He was about my height, maybe a bit taller, and had his sandy colored hair pulled back in a pony tail. At first glance, he was nearly as intimidating as Emmett or Jasper, but it was clear why Bella had described him as easy to get along with.

Kate was just as fun, though I had the feeling if she could use her gift on me she would be much _less_ fun. My hands clenched automatically every time she sent a small jolt through her mate, even though he seemed to get some sort of pleasure from it. I shook my head at the thought of enjoying electroshock therapy on a consistent basis, immediately cringing as I imagined how much electricity she would discharge into him during sex.

Brave bastard.

Alice and Esme went around, distributing colorful, wrapped packages to everyone. The gifts were fairly stereotypical of their characters; Emmett got video games, Alice got a collection of gift cards, and Bella received a few books. Other flashy, shiny trinkets were exchanged as well, but I lost focus of them as a package was handed to me.

The packaging was a shiny, red-on-green wrapping; clearly expensive. I rotated the box, which was big enough to be awkward to hold, and peered at the attached label.

_Davis Marks_

I glanced around the room quickly, trying to be subtle about my disbelief that I would get a gift of my own. My eyes caught Tanya's and my lips pursed as I caught sight of her barely-concealed grin. She raised her eyebrows and gestured to the box.

"Aren't you going to open it?"

I let out a sigh and slid a gloved finger under one of the taped sides in response. Gently, I undid the wrapping; it was almost a crime to destroy the stiff cover. Once it was removed and placed on the floor at my feet, I gazed down at the brown cardboard box.

The box was a dull brown color but it was sturdy. On the front, printed in a conservative font, was the word 'Origin.' I instantly recognized what it was, even though I had never heard of the brand.

"Is this a computer?" I asked, though I already knew the answer. "You got me a computer?"

"Yes," Tanya's grin got wider. "Merry Christmas!"

"Thank you," I said after a moment. What was I supposed to say? 'God no, take it back I don't deserve it!'?

_Billionaires_, I repeated in my head. _They're billionaires_.

"You're welcome; now you don't have to borrow someone else's every time you need to use the internet," Tanya nodded and looked up.

Alice danced over to our mini-group and tossed a few gifts at us. Unfortunately, I received yet another one – this time from the whole Cullen family. While Tanya unwrapped her fur coat and Garrett and Kate snickered suspiciously at the inside of the bag they were handed, I glared at the tiny cardboard box in front of me.

It was lightweight, nearly the length and width of a playing card, and made of a bone white cardboard; much less daunting than the suitcase-sized computer box. I wasn't convinced, though, since I knew many, many things came in small packages. Phones, money, and jewelry came to mind – although I was fairly certain it wasn't jewelry.

Well, unless it was from Emmett.

I halted my examination and looked up, freezing at the sight of nearly everyone looking at me – either out of the corner of their eye or, in Emmett's case, full-on staring with a wide grin. My eyes widened and I looked down at the box again, holding it away from my body as though it might explode. I took a deep breath and brought the package back to my lap, bracing myself as I swiftly removed the lid and lifted the foam insulation.

Inside was a long silver key with a black, flat oval at the end of it. There was an engraving of a galloping horse on it, and it was immediately clear they had gotten me a car of some sort. Attached, on a key ring, was a metal oval with a green alien's head staring back with unusually large eyes.

My eyes narrowed and flickered to Emmett, who was eyeing Jasper in what looked like anticipation. The others were clearly waiting for me to show some sort of reaction, so I put on a grin of my own and extracted the key from the box.

With a snap of spontaneity, I held up the key to the light, as though examining a fine work of art. I let out an exaggerated sigh of relief and picked the computer packaging up, plopping it back onto my lap.

"Just what I needed," I said with an overly-appreciative tone, though the humor vibrated through my voice.

I deftly swiped the key under the heavy-duty plastic tape that held the sides of the cardboard flap down on the computer box, breaking the seal. Intentionally ignoring the numerous stares I could feel boring into my forehead, I put the key down on the coffee table in front of me and continued to un-box the computer.

As the seconds passed by in silence, my stoic expression quivered and slipped into a forced frown as I held back my mile-wide grin that threatened to shine through. Still, I pulled apart the Styrofoam and plastic wrapping, setting the manuals back inside the cardboard box.

Of course Emmett was the first to break, letting loose a note-worthy guffaw and chaining the rest of the vampires into laughs of their own. My arms shook slightly as I let out a _real_ sigh and relaxed into Tanya's side again. I could feel the sweat starting to build up under my arms from my little performance, but honestly, I thought the anxiety was worth it.

"Teach me, master," Jacob with fake awe, shifting everyone's focus away from me. I bowed, kung-fu style in my seat, and let out a low laugh.

"It's a car, though, right?" I held up the key as Emmett passed what looked like a wad of cash to Jasper.

"It's a Mustang," Rosalie's voice rang out.

My eyes darted to her. She didn't have the look of happiness on her face that the others had; in fact, she looked a smidgen bored. But at least she wasn't glaring at me; this could be considered progress, right?

"Thank you," I held up the keys to the group in general, unsure which person to direct my thanks to and unwilling to try it on Rosalie. "I really appreciate it."

_They're billionaires. They. Are. Billionaires._

"You're welcome, Davis," Esme said. Carlisle nodded at me and I pocketed the keys, leaning back in my seat and feeling lighter than usual now that the moment had seemed to move on.

And move on the moment did. As there wasn't a big Christmas eve dinner like I was used to back in my world, the gathering slowly trickled out of the living area and the vampires went off on their own again. Esme had cooked some ham and made up some side dishes for Jake and me, and we ate the meal at the breakfast bar in the kitchen.

As I was finishing up and dumping my dishes in the sink, Tanya sped into the kitchen and grabbed my hand, pulling me out of the kitchen. I followed behind her as we maneuvered into the garage, which was thankfully Rosalie-free. Breaking the two-by-two pattern, a shiny black Mustang sat beside the Mercedes. I felt a smile stretch across my face as we moved closer.

"Want to go for a ride?" Tanya asked, moving to the passenger door and disappearing inside the car. I opened the driver's side door and slid in, breathing in the new car smell as the seat cushions let out a whoosh as I settled in.

"And go where?" I chuckled, inspecting the radio and the other buttons on the console.

"Anywhere," Tanya shrugged.

"I don't even have a license," I shook my head as I gripped the leather steering wheel.

Suddenly, a manila envelope appeared in my lap. I glanced at Tanya, who sat looking at me expectantly. I reached inside the envelope and pulled out a short stack of paper. One of the pieces slid out from the middle of the pile, hitting the center console with a thump. I reached for the plastic card and flipped it over in my hand, revealing a completely convincing driver's license.

Emil's face stared back at me in the photo, but it was my name that was written on it. My address was unfamiliar, and I had to assume it was the Cullen's house, here in Denali. I flipped the card over and flipped it back, twice, before I looked back at Tanya.

"How…" I paused. "I don't remember posing for a driver's license photo."

"You didn't," Tanya shrugged. "Emil Brock did. That is his photo and most of his information; Jasper just added your name to it. It was simpler that way."

"And I assume these," I gestured with the other papers in my hand. "are other important documents proving my identity?"

"You catch on quick," Tanya said with slight condescension.

"It's a gift," I quipped back.

I took out the key and inserted it into the ignition. The car roared to life with more force than I was used to, and I reached for the shifter to change the car into drive. I had to appreciate the fact it was an automatic transmission and not a manual, since I had no clue how to drive a manual at all.

I clicked my seatbelt into place and pushed the 'open garage door' button at the top of the sun visor, gently letting off the brake since I had never driven such a nice car in my life. After we rolled out of the garage and started slowly down the driveway, I pressed lightly on the gas pedal and was rewarded with an instantly-responsive lurch forward.

We went slowly – for Tanya, at least – down the road as the sunlight began to fade over the treetops. She fiddled with the radio for a few minutes before settling on an oldies station that was playing a Billy Joel song, Piano Man. I smirked in the dark of the car's interior at the song choice, since it was one my friends and I often played during road trips.

"You are a Billy Joel fan?" Tanya asked, apparently seeing my grin. I nodded as I pulled into one of the many viewpoints scattered around the national forest. There was no one around the parking lot or viewing area, so I didn't feel obligated to get out of the car.

"Yeah," I said, turning to face her. "Are you?"

"Yes," Tanya grinned in the dark, but her pale face and white teeth were easy to see, even in the dancing shadows. "I enjoy many of the artists of this century." I let out a laugh at that and let my head fall on the headrest.

"Right, I almost forgot; you're really old."

"I look well for my age," Tanya said lightly.

"You don't look a day over four hundred," I jested.

We listened to the end of the song in silence. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, though – it was relaxing; almost meditative. The radio changed over to commercials, but neither one of us bothered to change the station.

"Do you want to go to Anchorage?" Tanya asked suddenly.

"What?" I asked. "Like, now?"

"Yes."

"Isn't that like…over three hours from here?" I asked.

"I bet I can get us there in ninety minutes," Tanya extended her hand as if to shake on the bet, even though we didn't actually put down any money. Not that I _had_ any money. Instead of taking her hand, I turned off the car and handed her the key.

"I am probably going to regret this," I sighed as we switched places and Tanya revved the engine, peeling out and zooming off toward the city.

* * *

**End notes:** So, I'm a bit late with this chapter. Sorry. _Bioshock: Infinite_ is highly addictive and highly amazing, and is reason I was late. But you should still play it, for real.

As for the story, we're moving right along as planned. No worries, I'll get us there.

Oh, and thank you, reviewer, for mentioning Rogue from X-Men. That was _exactly_ what went through my mind when I decided to have Davis use gloves to keep from jumping into people every time he touched them.


	20. The Day the World Went Away

**-Chapter 20: The Day the World Went Away-**

I don't know if Tanya made it in exactly 90 minutes. All I knew is that I never, ever wanted to go that fast in a vehicle again. My fingers still ached from how tightly I was clenching the seat as we practically flew to Anchorage.

The race left me exhausted from the constant surge of adrenaline I was certain I excreted during the ride, and so Tanya took it upon herself to see that I got my proper dose of caffeine so I could recover. Under the cover of darkness, I wasn't able to recognize where we were headed until we were already in the parking lot.

The mall.

I let out a strange groan-laugh as I saw the lit-up sliding doors and the thin trickle of people heading in and out. Tanya pulled into a space near the back of the lot and shut the engine off, leaving only the sounds of squeaking leather as I shifted in my seat. I was a little surprised the engine wasn't whining or smoking from the way Tanya was driving.

"Is Walmart closed or something?" I asked cheekily as we both stepped out of the car and into the chilled night air. I shivered and moved around to the front of the car, where Tanya was already waiting for me.

"No," she said as she took my hand again, leading me through the parking lot and toward the illuminated building. "But I doubt Walmart has an IMAX."

"An IMAX?" I questioned, letting out a sigh as the heat inside the mall warmed me up. "They have soda machines here," I pointed to one of the fancy, clear-glass vending machines. "We don't have to go to a theater to get something for me to drink."

"Don't be dense, Davis," Tanya said. I could almost hear her eyes rolling in their sockets. "Of course I know this. We are going to the IMAX to see a film."

I didn't reply; I simply followed along behind her as we traversed the thinly-populated mall. At first, I was surprised so few people were out and about on Christmas Eve, but then I realized nearly all of the stores and shops were closed with bars and metal shades drawn down over the entrances. The few people in the mall were traveling in the same direction we were going.

Once the escalator took us to the third floor, and to the entrance to the large theater, we walked over to the illuminated movie posters and peered at the selections. My eyes roamed over the usual drivel and occasional kid's movie, before settling resolute on one near the middle. I turned to look at Tanya, who was still studying the posters.

Tanya must have felt my gaze, because she turned her head to look at me. I gestured with my eyes to my selection and she gave it a once-over, tilting her head as she considered.

"Dah-jango?" Tanya asked with a frown.

"The 'D' is silent," I automatically replied, having watched the trailer for the Tarantino movie several times. Tanya looked at me in confusion. "It's a Quentin Tarantino movie. You know, like _Pulp Fiction_."

"Pulp Fiction?" Tanya asked, her face melting into an even more confused frown.

"Ok, then, how about footnotes," I considered for a moment, how to explain what type of film this was likely to be to someone who had never seen a Tarantino film. "It's probably going to have lots of violence, gore, shooting, and," I looked at the movie poster, a black chain running down the length of it. "a lot of discrimination and crude language."

"Lovely," Tanya said in a way that normally would have been interpreted as sarcastic, but came out genuinely excited.

Tanya paid, of course, since I didn't have any money at the moment. I tried not to duck my head as she slid the money across the counter after I had ordered concessions for only myself, but it was quite a challenge.

It was past midnight when we exited the theater, but I honestly wasn't tired. I was jacked up on Mountain Dew and couldn't get the smile off my face from the movie we had just watched. Tanya seemed to be just as content as I was, as she wore a satisfied smile on her face as we strolled through the subtly shuffling patrons toward the exit.

As the restroom sign came into view, my extremely-full bladder made itself known. I let go of Tanya's hand and moved off at an angle, toward the hallway that led to the restrooms.

"I'll meet you in the car," I said as I moved away from her. Tanya rolled her eyes and nodded, continuing on past the sliding doors and into the night. I followed the overhead lights to the mall restroom as quickly as I could manage, eager to get back in the car and head home.

My chuckle echoed damply through the tiled bathroom. I called the mansion in Denali _home_. It was a strange world.

I finished quickly and half-jogged through the hallway, appearing in the deserted mall. I walked quickly through the sliding glass doors and paused for a moment to pull up the hood of my jacket and zip it up. It was well below freezing in the bleak, early Alaskan morning.

I took a step off the curb, heading for the dimly-lit overhead lights of the Mustang, when the breath was knocked out of me with a blunt hit to my side.

My sight flickered and gyrated like an out-of-tune television signal and…I _hurt_.

I must have gasped. I think I did, but it turned into a breathless scream. My back and my arms – even my neck – felt like they were being electrocuted. They tingled and twitched as I flailed weakly on the pavement.

I heard screaming, though it was far-off and muffled. My vision started to blur out of focus like seeing through salt water – it hurt just as badly. My body moved, not of my accord, and the world melded together in a mixture of neon and the obsidian black of night.

"Davis," a voice yelled, but the sound was muted. I tried to turn my head, but I was unable to locate it. Besides, I was too tired to care; I wanted to sleep. "Davis!"

My muscles relaxed, and I felt myself start to drift.

* * *

I found myself walking down a sidewalk, staring down at the cracks in-between each slab of concrete as I went. My steps halted as images of Tanya flooded my mind and I grabbed a lamp post to steady myself.

"_Davis!_" a female voice rang out from all directions. I whirled around, taking in the scenery for the first time.

I was in a city, but it seemed more like an unfinished set on the Hollywood back lot. It was in the details of the walls and the street signs – which were all bare – and the eerie quiet that hung over what I could see. It seemed to be night time, since the sky was a dark onyx, but every surface was illuminated with an unnatural light.

The street I was on went on as far as my eye could see in both directions, disappearing over the horizon where it was no more than a speck. I steadied myself and wobbled over to the corner of the block, standing in the indented part of the sidewalk for wheelchairs and strollers to move along.

The street that crossed it was just as infinite. I was in some sort of impossibly big, bare, city.

"_DAVIS!_" the voice shouted again. I gasped, recognizing who it was I kept hearing.

"Hello!" I responded, shouting at the black, starless sky. "Tanya!"

"Hi," a voice called from behind me.

I spun around again, muscles tensed and ready to fight. What I saw, though, made me freeze. Emil Brock sat on one of the bus stop benches, holding a comic book in his hand and eyeing me with what looked to be confusion. My eyes widened as I took his form in, fully alive and cognizant, looking at me with his green-eyed gaze.

"How," I gaped, taking a step back as I recalled my first and only other dream of my host body. "I'm dreaming."

"Obviously," Emil scoffed, putting down his comic and standing up. He looked both ways across the desolate street before strolling over to my side quickly; stopping once he reached the sidewalk and grinning down at me.

"I dreamed of your accident," I blurted out, unsure what to say to the person I had been looking at in the mirror for what seemed like forever. "It was…I mean you…how are you talking to me? Am I just…" I shook my head and stopped my blabbering. Clearly, this was just a dream. I just had to wait to wake up.

"_Can you hear me, Davis?_"

I looked up sharply, glaring at Emil. His eyes widened and he cocked his head to the side.

"What's up with you?" he asked.

"You didn't hear that?" I asked. He shook his head, but eyed the bench he was sitting on with what looked like…longing?

"Not what you heard, no."

I huffed and staggered over to my own bench, plopping down and resting my head in my hands. _What was that supposed to mean?_ I felt the bench creak and the new occupant let out a sigh. I sat up and let out a sigh of my own.

"What is this place, E-" my vocal cords seized in my throat as I looked beside me. I could feel my face drain of all color as I looked at him.

His face was surprisingly alien, which only unsettled me more. Curly, long, medusa-like brown hair wove over his head, slightly obscuring his eyebrows. He wore white cargo pants and a black shirt, with a grey hoodie with the sleeves rolled up over top. His almost-glowing sapphire eyes, while withdrawn, seemed to reflect a perpetually satirical mood.

He was me.

"Hello, Davis," the other me greeted. His voice – my voice – sounded much different coming from another person. I shivered as I gaped, still trying to form words.

"You're…" I croaked.

"You," he finished, flashing a wide smile that crinkled his eyes. "I know."

"This is a very strange dream," I sighed, relaxing into the bench.

"I know," my other self repeated, saying nothing more.

I rubbed my hand over my face harshly, trying to force myself into consciousness by my own hand. I didn't work, of course, though my other self seemed to find it a bit funny. I shook my head and moved further down the bench, away from him.

"Where did Emil go?" I asked, turning back to my clone. "And why am I talking to myself?" I pinched the bridge of my nose from the sheer insanity. This was like something out of the Matrix.

"Who?" he asked.

"The other guy," I replied. "He was here just before you were."

"Oh," the other me seemed surprised for a moment before shaking his head and eyeing the same bench Emil was occupying. "He probably went back home."

"I doubt it," I laughed darkly.

"_Jump! Come on! Jump into me, Davis!_" the Tanya voice echoed through the streets again and I bolted up out of my seat, my eyes darting frantically through the derelict cityscape.

"Why?" the other me asked. I looked back at him in confusion.

"What?"

"Why?" my clone repeated. "Why don't you think he went back home?"

I ran a hand through my hair, realizing it was back to the normal consistency – the same hair my doppelganger had – and sat back down on the bench on shaking limbs. I sat there for a moment, just counting the thump-thumping of my heartbeat, before I opened my mouth to speak.

"He was in a car accident," I answered, staring at the blank wall across from me. "His parents died and he became nothing but a vegetable."

"No shit," the other me laughed.

"So, no, I don't think he's going home," I finished. My clone laughed again.

"You're completely oblivious," he shook his head condescendingly.

"_No! I won't lose him! _Do_ something!_" the ghost voice called again.

"Oh, no!" I gasped, realizing what must have happened at the theater. I wasn't _dreaming_. I was _dying_! "I was hit by something. No!" I stood and started across the street before my clone stopped me with a firm clasp on my shoulder.

Like Emil before him, he gave both ends of the infinite street a careful glance before letting me go. I sprinted across the street and stumbled toward Emil's bench under the bus stop.

"What's wrong?" my clone asked from across the street as he followed from afar. "Where are you going?"

I shuffled down the street, turning the corner when I came to the crosswalk and continuing around the block. I heard a distant grunt and pounding footsteps behind me before the other Davis caught up with me and blocked my path. He stared at me with wide eyes as I could feel myself slowly slipping into a panic attack.

I couldn't die. I couldn't. I had to get back.

"I…I'm," I talked out of my head.

"Fine," my clone repeated. "You're fine."

"No," I shook my head and slowed my spinning, babbling speech. "I think I was hit by a car. I think I'm dying." My knees buckled and I nearly fell to the ground, somehow managing to turn it into a flip so I ended up sitting on the sidewalk.

"Well, yeah," my clone shrugged. "Of course you are."

"What?" I whispered, leaning against the cool stone of the building behind me. "What are you talking about?"

"There's always a crash," other-Davis shrugged again.

"What?" I repeated, not able to process anything else.

"You need to open your eyes and pay attention."

"You're not making sense," I shook my head, not listening to anything else the crazy version of myself was babbling about. "I have to go. I have to get back to Tanya."

I lurched forward, nearly falling on my face as I scrambled upright and toppled toward the edge of the sidewalk. I didn't know where I was going, but I knew I couldn't stay here. There had to be a way out, I just had to find it. There _had_ to be.

"Davis!" my clone called, but this time I didn't listen. I stepped down on the pavement and tripped, landing harshly on my hands and knees in the middle of the road. "Get out of the road!"

I turned my head to look back at him, but my eyes caught sight of the blinding white light only a few meters down the road, barreling straight in my direction. I flipped onto my back and tried to crawl away, but the lights came faster, bearing down on me.

Just before it hit, the floor toppled out from under me and the sky dissolved, sending me through the void again.

* * *

The instant…weakness I felt was horrifying. My chest bobbed up and down as I breathed in and out, but that was all I could manage – even opening my eyes seemed like too much to handle.

My head hurt, my throat ached, and I felt my stomach rumble. I felt empty and beaten, wherever I was. Empty.

There was a shuffling sound, and more muffled speech. They could have been speaking Italian for all I knew, but I just wish they would let me sleep. I tried to shift my head to turn away from the noise, but something grabbed my arm and directed my head back toward the noise.

Light projected through my eyelids and I scrunched them tighter, trying to filter out the harshness of it. The hand on my face wouldn't have that, though. My left eye was pried open with gentle fingers, making my exposed eye dart around, trying to find shelter from the overhead lights.

"He's awake," the voice said more clearly. "Get his doctor in here. I'll go call his parents." I slipped partially away from the world, letting my eyes close and relaxing my muscles.

An indeterminate time later, the door opened again and someone walked through. Papers shuffled and metal clinked and I think there was a faucet on in the distance. Footsteps came closer and stopped beside me. Even though I wanted to just go back to sleep, I opened my eyes anyway and peered up at a blurry figure.

"Hello," a male voice greeted. I closed my eyes in response and swallowed, grimacing from the ache in my throat. "Can you tell me your name?"

"Davis," I croaked in a weak voice.

"Good," the voice said. "I am Dr. Allison. Do you know where you are?"

"Hospital," I breathed, stretching my legs under the covers.

"Well, yes," the voice conceded with a bit of humor in his voice. "Do you remember what happened to you?"

"Something hit me," I said more clearly, my head swimming with memories of my dream. "Where's Tanya?" There was no reply for a few moments.

"Your family has been notified that you are awake," the doctor said.

I nodded, and let myself slip back into sleep while I waited for Tanya and the rest of the Cullens to come and get me.

When I opened my eyes again, it was much darker in the room. The light that filtered through the window was a quickly-fading orange color, and I wondered how long I had been asleep. A gasp came from the foot of my bed and I turned my head to get a better look.

I let out a gasp of my own as I locked eyes with my visitor.

Her small height was apparent, even sitting down, and the diffused light rippled against her slightly-worn face. Her hair was the same shade as mine, but less curly and wavier. Streaks of tears slid down from her sapphire eyes as she nearly lunged out of her chair and staggered toward me.

"Davis," she cried, putting her hand on my cheek.

"Mom."

* * *

**End notes:** So, we've finally come full circle. If you're worried about me leaving Davis where he is, fear not, there are at least four more chapters until the end. Maybe more; I don't really know.


	21. Homecoming

**-Chapter 21: Homecoming-**

They said it was a Christmas miracle. They said the doctors were baffled that a brain dead patient suddenly woke up, especially when those same doctors had been pressuring my parents to take me off of life support.

I felt horrible when I wished they had.

I wasn't suicidal or moody after awaking to the mundane world I was born and raised in. I was just sad I had to, once again, give up an entire world. The doctors talked with my parents and to me, testing and prodding to make sure I was OK to head home. I guess I was, because home was where I was heading right now in my dad's car.

I was in a fog; on auto-pilot. It was a familiar sensation; one I had experienced in my early high school years. I would sit in a classroom or a library and simply check out of reality, escaping into my head and becoming completely oblivious to the world around me. Sometimes I would re-watch old memories and sometimes I would create exciting worlds inside my head.

It was doubly worse that I wasn't sure which one it was this time.

I wanted to believe the world I had been living in for over a month was legitimately real, but I had to consider the possibility that it wasn't. Stories like mine weren't completely uncommon. A girl has a near-death experience and sees an angel or a man sees his grandfather's ghost. These things were reported all the time.

I just never actually _believed_ any of them. I thought they were nuts or delusional and decided that if that ever happened to me, I would remain rational and remind myself that there was nothing beyond the physical realm – no magic or mythical creatures. It was…difficult, now, to remain true to my 'oath.'

I wanted so badly to believe the Cullens existed in that alternate reality. I wanted to believe that I had visited them and that my month-long stint in the hospital wasn't just wasted time.

But I couldn't do that. To believe it was real would be _insanity_ – literally. I pushed back the comfort the thought of that world gave me and focused on the here and now.

The car I was in pulled into our driveway and the engine shut off. I stared at the once-familiar paneling of the single-story house as my dad got out and came around to my side, opening the door and helping me down. The process was awkward, since I was a few inches taller than him and had a bigger build, but my weeks in the hospital had greatly weakened my muscles and I needed the help.

We limped up the newly-built ramp and arrived at the front door, both of us out of breath. Dad opened the door and I followed him inside, insisting I attempt to get around on my own as my mom walked behind us. The process was slow going.

The living room was painfully the same, though the strangely-familiar scent of the house made me pause, before I remembered it had been over a month since I had been here. Of course I would be unfamiliar with the smell of my home. I smiled a sad smile as I considered I was mentally commenting on the _smell_ of my home.

In the dream, Emil's body had been more sight-oriented. His eyes were nearly perfect and I had no trouble reading things far away. In contrast, my own body had trouble focusing on distant objects – only seeing blobs of color. My sense of smell was greatly superior to Emil's, though. Nowhere near vampire levels, but definitely on the high-end of the human limit if the comparison to Emil was worth anything.

In the corner of the kitchen, a small Christmas tree was decorated with flashing lights and ornaments. There were only a few presents under the tree this year, and only three stockings were propped up against the wall instead of the usual four.

I turned around in the living room, taking in my dad's deer heads and the ancient television set, when I heard a creaking, rolling sound coming from the hallway. I turned around and was nearly knocked over by the sight of my brother slowly wheeling himself into the room on a wheelchair.

"Brian," I half croaked, half whispered.

"Davis," Brian swallowed.

The sight of him sitting there in the wheelchair was…wrong. My mind rebelled against the thought and sight of it, half-expecting him to just rise right out of it and skip over to me. He wouldn't, though – the chair was for real.

Once I had gotten through the worst of the shock of not waking up in the _Twilight_ world, I had asked about Brian. As happy as my parents were to have me out of the coma, their faces fell at my question.

_Where's Brian? Is he OK?_

He didn't die, which we were all grateful for, but the accident left him paralyzed from the waist down. His face showed me just how difficult it was to be a paraplegic after almost two decades of being a normal, healthy kid. His brown eyes were sunken in, red-rimmed, and had shallow circles underneath them. He was thinner as well, and though I tried not to stare, I could tell the muscles in his legs were already starting to shrink and wither from lack of use.

"I'm glad you're back," Brian said, a forced smile on his face. "I'm so sorry…" I shook my head at him and held up an unsteady hand.

"It's not your fault," I cut him off. "That deer came out of _nowhere_." Brian flinched at the reminder of what caused us to crash. "Sorry."

"That's my line," Brian mumbled, though I could tell a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders, seeing that I was OK and didn't hold him responsible.

And even if I _did_, he's the one in the wheelchair for the rest of his life. I looked down at the floor as the thought came to me. It was almost a heartless thing to say, but it was true. Brian was forever changed by that accident. It was too early to tell if I was as well.

* * *

My mom and dad invited Brian's and my grandparents out for a small, celebratory post-Christmas dinner. It was a bit improvised and my mom hadn't been planning on preparing a meal for everyone, so the food was a bit removed from the Christmas standard of food. Or, at least from the cliché Christmas food.

Roasted chicken, pork and beans, and potato chips were the first real meal I had since I woke up out of my coma, but I honestly didn't mind. The others didn't, either. Or, at least they didn't comment.

Grandma Anne and Grandpa Bill were the first to arrive, since they lived on the other side of Washington. My grandpa's face was lit up with a mega-watt smile, his white, scraggly beard that reminded me of George Carlin in full bloom. He placed a hand on my shoulder and gave me the standard 'hey, kid' greeting, though this one seemed more strained.

My grandma, a warm, slightly overweight woman, grabbed me up into a hug with more strength than I thought she could manage. I let out a whoosh of breath as I was nearly crushed.

"Don't you ever scare us like that again, Davis," my grandma whispered in my ear, not quite relinquishing her hold on me.

"No promises," I gave a low chuckle and pushed away from her as she let me go.

We all sat down at the table and started our ad lib meal. The conversation was light and touched on all subjects but my coma. It was only a touch awkward, since everyone wanted to ask how I was handling being back but didn't want to think about the damage the accident had caused all of us. Mostly, though, we talked about my future.

The topic left a bad taste in my mouth, although I suppose that could have been the pork and beans.

My dream had kept time with reality, apparently, since it had been forty days since I slipped into the coma. I didn't mention this aloud, since I had the feeling nobody was willing to talk about the vivid dreams I had while I was on the verge of being unplugged and left to die, and also because there was another, more pressing issue to worry about.

The semester was over for the community college I went to in the next town over, leaving me in the awkward position of failing out of the classes I had been practically acing. The college had been understanding, and had offered to allow me to retake the classes I had failed out of again without impacting the frail scholarship I had been riding to pay for classes.

All I had to do was _retake_ the fucking classes.

It was infuriating. My jaw clenched at the thought of enduring another round of the same classes, just to cover the last month of material, and a horrible thought slipped into my mind.

_If only Brian hadn't hit that damn deer and messed everything up._

My mind rebelled at the thought and I visibly deflated, my anger gone. Of course it wasn't his fault – I told him as much. Even if he _had_ seen the deer, what could he have done? We were going nearly sixty miles-per-hour, with rock walls on either side of the road. No. There wasn't anything he could have done differently.

I left the dinner table abruptly, dumping my dishes in the sink and heading out of the kitchen. I had to be alone to think – to be away from so many looks of sympathy and understanding. No one said anything as I headed down the hallway, and for that I was thankful.

My room was completely trashed as I pushed open the wooden door and stepped inside the dark and gloomy room. My bed was unmade and piles of clean clothes were starting to resemble a nest at the foot of it. The various receipts and papers that tended to accumulate were still sitting where I left them.

It was as if I never left at all.

Suddenly, I was hit with a wave of exhaustion, and all I wanted to do was go to bed. Following my instincts, I trudged over to the haphazard pile of blankets and pillows and plopped down. I didn't even have time to take my socks off or pull the covers over me before I was nodding off and drifting into a much needed rest.

I woke with a start, jolted out of sleep and faced with the pitch black of my room at night. My head and back were slick with sweat and I sat up, propping my arms under me as I tried to slow my heartbeat. I had been dreaming of the Cullens.

It wasn't as fluid or lucid as my month-long siesta; it was more like my usual dreams. Hazy and distorted. Already, I could feel myself starting to forget the details, but I could recall Tanya's face and I held onto it.

We were walking somewhere – or maybe we were sitting down together. I shook my head; I couldn't remember. Her face was bright and she was smiling; I think I was as well. She said something that was incoherent; it was just garbled words that somehow made sense during the dream. I had blinked, and woke up.

No nightmares, no calling out for her to come back; just she and I talking together.

I groaned and shifted on the bed, hitting the button on my alarm clock to illuminate the display. 3:45AM. I fell back against my sheets, closing my eyes and trying to force my way back to sleep. But of course, it never came to me.

I groaned again and pulled myself out of bed, nearly collapsing as my decrepit muscles struggled to keep me upright. I opened my bedroom door and shuffled down the hall to the kitchen, which was traversable only because of the dim night light that was always on near the coffee pot at night. I didn't want coffee, but my throat was sore and I suddenly realized I was thirsty.

Quietly, so I wouldn't wake up my parents or my brother, I scooped a few ice cubes out of the freezer and dropped them into a small glass tumbler before pouring water into it from the built-in faucet on the refrigerator. I downed the glass quickly in one gulp, nearly panting as I felt the refreshing coolness of it slide into my stomach.

The floorboards squeaking alerted me to another presence, and I turned to face the short silhouette of my mother. She walked into the kitchen and leaned forward, as if squinting in the dark.

"Davis," she whispered. "Is that you?"

"Yeah," I sighed. "Couldn't sleep."

Mom walked over to the stove and flipped on the overhead light, since it was dull in comparison to the larger, kitchen light. The harshness of it, as opposed to the darkness I had been sitting in still hurt my eyes, though, and I turned my head while I adjusted to the new level of luminescence.

"I was coming to check on you," she mumbled, her eyes still full of sleep as she swayed slightly. She went over to the counter beside me and started up the coffee machine.

I nodded in response, not sure what else to say. It was very typical of her to check on Brian or myself when we were sick or if she was worried about us. She would usually leave the porch lights on if we went out to a late film showing, waking up to make sure one of us had turned it off after we arrived safely home.

It must have been terrifying to wake up at this time and see them still on back in November. I wondered, idly, if it had been a police officer to inform her of the accident – or did they only do that with deaths? I couldn't imagine – didn't want to imagine – her face when she got the news that both of her children were in a serious wreck.

"Are you OK, Davis," Mom asked. "You look…" she cut off, but I could easily substitute the words 'horrible,' 'tired,' or the classic 'bad.'

I shrugged my shoulders, not really paying attention. My mind was busy trying to recall my stay with the family of vampires and I couldn't bother to try to turn it away from the line of thought. The fantasy of it was comforting to me, like a perpetual daydream I couldn't switch off.

"Get some sleep," she said, gently clasping my arm as she moved past me to head back to bed. "Or at least _try_." I could hear the smile trying to come through in her voice, but I was unable to respond.

I was frozen in place, staring at the long shadows drawn by the overhead light with my eyes wide. I could feel my body subtly moving with each beat of my heart and my lungs burned from lack of oxygen – I was holding my breath. My mouth was dry, even though I had downed several glassfuls of water.

All these things were on the back burner; the rest of my wide-awake mind was focused on the tiniest blip in the air as my mom touched my arm.

A frail, distant pulse. A frayed wire reconnecting.

* * *

**End notes:** It's a little shorter than usual, but it just felt right to end it there.

I'm finished with my semester now, so I'll have waaay more free time to write this and hopefully update _Unstoppable Force_ as well. I really want to get this one finished, though. We are _so_ close, now.


	22. Constants and Variables

**-Chapter 22: Constants and Variables-**

The sun crested over the trees, sending cracks of light through my bedroom window's blinds. I was exhausted, shifting my gaze from one spot on the wall to another as I fought sleep off with everything in me. I laughed out loud and rubbed my back against the wall as I sat on my bed.

I could feel them now – my family – moving about the house. Mom was moving somewhere in the kitchen, though she tended to move into the living room from time to time. Dad and Brian were still sleeping, both on opposite ends of the house from each other.

My eyelids drooped as I smiled, but I jerked my head and continued to focus on the pulses, each one strong and warm and _very_ much real.

I honestly wasn't sure whether or not it had disappeared when I woke up from my coma, but I hadn't thought about it. In the dream, I had grown used to my strange ability to sense other people by the waves of energy that rolled off their minds. The transition from _Twilight_ to real life was a shock, and somewhere along the way I had forgotten.

But now I remembered. I didn't want to sleep, because I feared I would lose it again. I was afraid this power would fade away in my dreams like the Cullens had.

That was another problem tossing and turning around in my head. I didn't _have_ this ability to body jump – if that's indeed what it still was – in this world. In real life, I was normal; the same as everyone else. Even though my vision was starting to blur and I had trouble focusing on the wall across from me, I knew that it would be _quite_ the coincidence I would get the ability I had in the dream.

If my body snatching gig still worked, did that mean it _wasn't_ a dream?

I didn't want to hope. I was back in my world with its imperfections and problems and _mundane_ daily grind. Brian was in a wheelchair and I looked like I had an eating disorder from how much my muscles had shrunken.

Somewhere in my mental shit storm, my thoughts had slowed down and I had finally lost the battle and fell asleep. I awoke still propped up against the wall, though I was hunched over. I groaned as the muscles in my back loosened and I rolled over, burying my face in a pillow. I breathed into it for a few minutes, trying to wake myself up without getting out of bed.

The smell of cooking bacon finally forced my hand and I rolled out of the comfort of blankets and pillows.

After my morning bathroom ritual, I maneuvered my way into the kitchen, where mom was hard at work making eggs, hash browns, and the previously noted bacon. A smile wove its way onto my face, despite everything, and I started to help set the table. Once the plates, utensils, condiments, and juices were set out, the shifting of Brian and Dad's pulses let me know they were awake.

Dad came in first, clothed only in his white briefs with his beer gut hanging over. I cringed and looked intently at my plate as I took my seat – he could at least put pants on.

Though the two of them seemed to wake at nearly the same time, Brian's appearance took longer. He eventually wheeled himself out of his room and headed for the bathroom, letting loose an incomprehensible mumble of curses as he went.

"Do you need help in there, Brian?" my mom called.

"I got it," he called back with an angry tone.

I didn't comment as I started to fill my plate with food, pouring myself a glass of orange juice and buttering a slice of toast. Brian wheeled into the room with a sour look on his face, settling into the spot at the table reserved for him. The height of the table was slightly too high for the wheelchair, but no one seemed to mind.

Where the dinner last night had been somewhat comfortable – like a coming home party – this morning was just awkward. We ate in silence, all of us focused on our food like we had nothing to say to each other. I finished first, again, since I was the first one to start eating, and once again I dumped the dishes in the sink.

I didn't want to seem ungrateful, though, so I started a fresh sink-full of soap water and began to wash the dishes that were already sitting in the sink before starting to wash mine as well. It was a mindless job, but I somehow felt calmer cleaning the grime off plates than I did eating with my family.

Mom finished next, followed by my dad; the latter leaving his plate and glass on the table as he made his escape from the kitchen. I huffed a silent breath of disapproval, forgetting this was the usual routine around the house. Brian was last to finish eating, and he only made it halfway to where I stood finishing off the dirty dishes before Mom stopped him and took his plate and glass from him.

"I can do that myself," he grumbled as the dishes were dropped into the sink. Neither one said anything else, and Brian rolled off toward his room again.

I finally finished with the dishes and shook the water from my hands before reaching for the towel that hung from the handle on the stove. I leaned back against the counter and half-watched my mom put away the food and wipe the table down. She turned to me and let out a breath as she chucked the dish rag in the sink and dried her hands as well.

"Well," she said. "What are you going to do today?" I shrugged, staring off into space. I didn't have a plan at all.

"Maybe I'll call Brandon and hang out with him," I said as the idea popped into my head. To be honest, I said it as an excuse – I didn't have any sort of idea what to do today but just _think_. So much was messed up and different and I just wanted to lock myself in my room and figure things out.

"Sounds good," she said with a strained voice. "But please…be _careful_."

"I will," I promised. "I better go call him." I padded the front pocket of my jeans, freezing when the always-present bulge of my phone wasn't there. Mom must have seen my panic, because she snorted a laugh and headed over to the counter that held her purse and other various items.

"Here," she handed me the white iPhone. "It needs to be charged."

I thanked her and went into my room, plugging in the phone and switching it on. While it was warming up and stuck on the loading screen, displaying the familiar silver Apple logo, I scooted over to my desktop computer and turned it on as well. The middle-aged computer started up with the whirling of the fan and the blue light on the tower flashed to life.

I sat down on my bed and brought my phone as close to me as I could without pulling the cord out of the wall. I scrolled through my contact list and selected my cousin's name, pressing it and holding the phone to my ear. After a few rings, he picked up.

_"So for once the rumors were true!"_ Brandon boomed into the phone, sounding more excited than should be possible.

"Hey, man," I greeted, smiling into the phone. "I just woke up from a coma and have nothing to do. Do you want to go do stuff with me?" Brandon chuckled into the phone at my greeting.

_"Like what kind of stuff? It ain't gonna be no weird shit, is it?"_ Brandon asked, putting on an obviously false country twang into his voice.

"I have no idea," I sighed. "I just have to get out of this house for a while and I got the impression my mom doesn't want me to drive myself after…" I let the sentence hang.

_"Yeah. Right,"_ Brandon sighed. _"Well, I haven't seen _Django Unchained_ yet. We could go to that."_

At the mention of the movie title, I nearly dropped the phone. That was the movie Tanya and I watched before I came back here. Images from the dream – memories – came to me, flooding my mind. Tanya and I, sitting in the dark theater watching the film, completely at ease. The exit out of the theater; both of us almost high with happiness. And then the crash.

_"Davis?"_

"Oh," I breathed, clearing my throat. "Yeah. That's…fine."

_"Alright then,"_ he replied, the sound of crinkling paper audible over the phone. _"So…there's a showing at 1:20 and 4:30. I'm thinking the 1:20 one?"_

"Sounds like a plan," I said, wiping my forehead with the back of my hand and trying to keep myself from slipping back into my head. "You're picking me up?"

_"Yep,"_ he popped the 'p.' _"I'll be there in about an hour or so. We got to go get sodas and shit, remember?"_

"Yeah, I remember," I chuckled under my breath. "We'll go by Walmart beforehand and pick up some stuff."

_"OK, see you later, bud."_

"Bye," I said, hitting the 'end' button and locking my phone.

* * *

To say I was on the verge of freaking out would be an understatement. I couldn't concentrate on the movie, no matter how hard I tried. Every time I would start to slip into the story and follow the plot along, I would see Tanya sitting next to me as she held my gloved hand.

Closing my eyes didn't help either, since I could still hear the actors saying their lines on screen. I eyed the exit several times and almost left just as many, my muscles bunched and ready to get me the hell out of here. But I couldn't just leave my cousin here, watching the movie by himself. How would I explain why I darted out of the movie theater?

Panic attack?

I scoffed mentally, peering at the tiled ceiling of the theater as it seemed to dance, reflecting the projected light on the screen and distorting it through the plastic edges of each square of tile. In a few minutes, I would switch to staring at the people in front of me so Brandon wouldn't notice I wasn't paying attention. Occasionally he would laugh or shift in his seat, but so far I hadn't had to interact with him.

It was only that much worse – and more confusing – that the movie was the _same_ as the one I watched in my coma dream. I was starting to believe it wasn't a dream before setting foot in the theater, but this fact only served to cement the idea.

The plot was the same and I could predict some of the lines, since I had watched the movie with Tanya. By the time the credits rolled, I felt the beginnings of tears starting to form in the corners of my eyes. I was starting to crack – I could feel it coming on – and I swallowed back the misery that steadily rolled in.

"I'll meet you outside," I croaked to Brandon, who turned to me in confusion.

He might have been ready to say something, but I must have looked somewhat like I felt, since he only nodded. I sighed in relief and practically flew out of my seat and ran out of the theater, heading for the restroom. The largest stall in the back, reserved for handicapped people, was open and I darted inside, closing the door behind me and clicking the lock into place.

I slid down the stone wall to the questionably clean floor and hunched over with my head between my knees. My eyes were dripping tears as I sat there, breathing deep and silently going to pieces.

Why was I feeling like this?

_Because the dream was real. Because you miss Tanya and the Cullens._

I coughed out a laugh at the completely obvious realization. _Nice going, brain!_ It had taken nearly the whole movie for me to _really_ believe what I experienced during my time in the coma actually happened. But I was so lost; I didn't know what to do anymore.

The _id_ in me demanded I find a way back to that other world. I wanted to; I really, _really_ did. But I couldn't just abandon my family _here_. They just got me back after they thought I would _die_. Brian was forever crippled by the accident and was more hateful than ever. To leave would be childish and irresponsible.

The part of me that didn't care wouldn't know how to get back there anyway. Would I have to get hit by a car again? If I made it there, who would I possess? I had no idea if Emil's body survived, but the fact that I was kicked out of that world and sent back home didn't give me much hope.

My thoughts drifted to Matt, and how badly I fucked his life up. The Cullens fixed the mess I had made, sure, but if Emil was dead I would have to ruin _another_ life to just exist in that world. I didn't know if I could do it again.

The skeptic in me – the die-hard Atheist that would not die – whispered to me as well.

_What if you're just crazy? What if everything – even your 'pulse' – is nothing but the ravings of a mad man?_

I didn't think I was crazy, but what crazy person really does? The accident could have done significant damage to my brain. Hell, I was in a coma! But I didn't know for sure, and the uncertainty was nearly choking me.

"Davis?" a voice startled me. I looked up to see a person's feet standing on the other side of the stall door. "You in there?"

"Yeah," I answered, getting up off the floor and dusting myself off. "I'll be right out."

"Alright, dude; I'll be in the truck."

I flushed the toilet out of habit and so maybe Brandon wouldn't realize I had just been sitting in the bathroom crying and sulking. I shuffled out of the stall and went to the sink to wash my hands, trying not to look at the red-rimmed eyes in the mirror. I walked out of the restroom and through the cinema doors, keeping my eyes on the ground and marching lock-step to where we were parked.

Brandon didn't say anything as we pulled out of the parking lot and started down the road. He looked at me every once in a while, though, and I could tell he was just itching to know why I was sitting in the bathroom stall for several minutes.

The silence probably would have continued all the way back to my house, had I not caught sight of a _very_ familiar looking building. My mouth opened as I stared at the new paint job and the almost-barren parking lot, and I cleared my throat before I turned my head to look at Brandon.

"Could we stop in there?" I pointed to the restaurant. "I just need to see something."

"I guess?" Brandon replied, turning into the parking lot and driving up to the front doors. "You're suddenly in the mood for sea food?"

"No," I shook my head as I took in every detail of the blue-topped building.

If not for the paint job and the sign, I would have believed this was the same donut shop Matt and I stopped at to get breakfast for his son back in the _Twilight_ universe. It was in the same place and the parking lot was just as crappy, but this restaurant had the distinct smell of fish and other sea food coming from it instead of warm pastries.

"What's up with you, Davis?" Brandon asked, looking serious for once. "Are you OK?"

"Not even close," I gave a humorless laugh. "Sorry, I was mistaken; this isn't the place I was looking for."

"So, are you ready to go home or what?" he asked, looking at me like I was drunk and didn't know what I was talking about.

Out of nowhere, I had the urge to check on another place – one that I'm surprised I didn't already check out. I knew there was probably nothing there – or if there was, _he_ wouldn't be there – but this was something I needed to do.

"Would it be alright if we went by another place?" I asked.

A look of frustration and irritation flashed across Brandon's face for a moment, but he eventually shook his head and put the car into gear. We pulled back out of the parking lot and stopped at the intersection, Brandon peering at me expectantly.

"Where to?"

I directed him to the less clean, more residential area of Washington. As we pulled onto the street, everything looked familiar. I could almost pretend this _was_ the _Twilight_ universe, since I had never been here in this world. As we approached the correct house, I told Brandon to pull over. The truck rolled to a stop at the curb and he shifted into park.

Even though I knew it wouldn't be the same, I was still disappointed.

Matt's old, rickety car wasn't anywhere to be seen. In its place was a black Jeep. The yard was completely different – a few more trees were spread across the small space and wilting flowers lined the side of the house. The house looked cleaner and more vibrant with a slightly paler shade of paint.

This wasn't Matt's home. Of that, I was certain.

I sighed and sunk into my seat, feeling, more than seeing, Brandon's eyes boring into my forehead. The quiet radio music that had been constantly playing on the drive was switched off, and I opened my eyes to look at my cousin.

"What's up with you?" he asked. "What is this place?"

"It's just…I thought I had been here before," I rubbed my face and rested my head against the cool glass window. "In a dream."

"In a dream?" Brandon asked, and then his voice got quiet and more direct. "Do you need to go to the hospital or something?"

"No," I shook my head. "I mean…I dreamed stuff while I was in that coma. I just…it was so _vivid_ and I thought some of the places were real. Sorry I took you with me to crazy town."

It wasn't like I could say I got dumped into a book and made friends with the characters. I couldn't tell him I wanted, with everything in me, to go back there and leave this entire universe behind. I mean, there was understandably confused from waking up from a coma, and then there was batshit crazy; it's a fine line.

"No, it's OK," Brandon sounded relieved. "I mean, that happens, right? Like, with coma patients and stuff?" I shrugged.

"Could you…please don't tell anyone about this," I cringed as I looked back at Brandon.

"Yeah, no; no problem," he nodded his head as he put the truck back in gear. "Don't even worry about it."

I breathed out a sigh of relief and scooted back in my seat as we drove back to my house.

* * *

**End notes:** There you go, back to the (almost) usual length of chapters. I finished this up on Saturday and hopefully I'm posting it on Tuesday, which means I've probably started on another chapter of the story and will get it out to the internet that much faster. We can only hope.

I'm not going to drag this out for much longer, since I don't want it to turn into another version of the beginning of the story. We're getting there.

UPDATE: Yep, I am posting this on Tuesday. I just wanted to add that I've published another story, _Blacklight_, and you might want to check it out. This story will still get priority, though, so don't fret.


	23. The Traveler

**-Chapter 23: The Traveler-**

I balled up the piece of paper and tossed it in the trash can, pulling out another and beginning to write again. I kept dancing around what I was trying to say; I needed to get to the point. I nodded my head and took a deep breath, before digging back in and writing down what I really needed to say.

As I was finished, I signed my name at the bottom and gave it a once-over, checking for correct grammar and spelling. It would be hard for them to take me seriously if it looked like a sixth grader wrote my letter. It was bad enough my penmanship was so horrible, but something like this needed to be done by hand and not by a computer. It needed to be _personal_.

* * *

_The movie theater was dark and relaxing. I was seated in an extraordinarily comfy chair while I watched the pictures moving on the screen. I couldn't make them out, but then again, I wasn't really trying to. They were soothing – hypnotic, almost. There weren't any other patrons in the dark movie theater with us, which only added to the sense of serenity._

_My right hand was clasped in a cooler one and I turned to look at her. Tanya looked just as comfortable as I was as she watched the screen, somehow following the incoherent movements that danced and rippled. I watched the strange show along side of her._

_Then, something happened. The movie theater got…darker. It was like a filter had gone over the projector, limiting the amount of light being played across the screen. I sat up straighter in my seat, wondering what was going on._

_The shapes on the screen condensed and started to group together, bleeding and contorting to form identifiable objects. A face – though missing identifying characteristics – appeared with the other inkblots folding into the scenery._

_The face smiled at the seats of the theater, looking right at the camera, as more and more features started to draw themselves into the face. First, all I could tell was it was a male face, but after a few moments the boy on the screen became startlingly familiar._

_Me._

_My black-and-white face peered intently at us, a wide range of emotions fleeting across his – my – face every so often. There was no soundtrack; not even the distinct crackling associated with old black and white films. It was eerie, like one of those creepy jump-out-at-you videos that always used to scare the shit out of me as a kid. I kept expecting the scene to change, but it never did._

_"Enjoying the film?" a male voice asked from my left, making me nearly leap out of my seat in fright. I fucking _knew_ that was going to happen!_

_"Oh," I said, starting to calm down once I realized the man seated next to me wasn't a monster or serial killer out to get me. "It's…strange." I inspected my neighbor as he did the same to me._

_He was older than I was, though I couldn't tell if he was closer to thirty or forty. Black hair was slicked back on his head, pulled tight and revealing a receding hairline on a shiny, white forehead. He wore white dress pants and a black, button down shirt – though the shirt was wrinkled and untucked. His eyes were inquisitive as they studied my face, but I couldn't tell what color they were in the dim light._

_The man shifted his gaze back to the movie screen, huffing out a nearly-silent breath as he adjusted his position in the seat. His left arm rose halfway to his stomach, as though it were trying to press itself to his torso. After a moment, his posture relaxed and his hand dropped, his eyes roaming the screen as though it were completely interesting to watch the 'me' on the screen peer back at him._

_"Do you know…what is this?" I asked, gesturing to the movie screen._

_"You don't recognize yourself?" the man asked, raising a brow. He turned and coughed wetly into his hand, wiping the back of it against his mouth._

_I looked back up at my face projection, but it looked…different. I looked tired; not as bright as I was at the start. His eyes – my eyes – would scan the screen, as though looking for the invisible audience that was beyond his sight. He would shift and move and sometimes go off camera, but that's all it was – no action, not even _lines_._

_A movement to my right distracted me, and I rotated my body to look back at where Tanya was sitting. Or rather, the spot she _should_ have been in. The seat beside me was empty and folded up; no trace of her anywhere._

_I panicked, my eyes reeling as I searched each seat in the theater for her. A sense of loss crept into my chest and I considered getting up to go search the entire building for her. I think I nearly did, but something stopped me._

_The man coughed again and clutched his chest as he turned away from me. I braced my hands on the armrests of my seat, ready to help him, but the fit ended and he turned back to me._

_He looked awful; his eyelids were half closed and he seemed to be wheezing as he breathed in and out. He lurched out of his seat and wobbled as he got his bearings, which was when I saw it._

_In the center of his chest was a wet splotch, like a stain one would get from spilling a soda. That's what I thought it was, until my eyes moved down to his white pants, which carried bright, red finger smears at the top and by the knees where he had rested his hands._

_"Oh!" I leaped up out of my seat and steadied him, still staring at that enormous blood – if that's what it was – stain on the front of his shirt. "Shit! We'll…come on, I'll get you some help."_

_"No," he shook his head. "I'll go; you shouldn't have to miss your movie." He pushed past me, regardless of my attempts to keep him still, and moved down the aisle, toward the exit._

_"I think I know how it ends," I laughed dryly as I watched my large, on-screen head continue to stare into the camera._

_"Then why are you wasting your time here?" he rasped, supporting himself by leaning against the door frame that led to the exit._

_I opened my mouth to answer him, but the scene-shift on the screen drew my attention. No longer was my other self staring at nothing into the camera. Instead, it was a shot of a dark highway in the dead of night. Charcoal pavement dotted with a yellow stripe faded back into obsidian as it met the horizon line._

_Suddenly, a dot of light appeared at the center, growing out and expanding. My eyes widened and I tried to take a step backward, only managing to trip and fall back into my seat as the large beam morphed into two, connected balls of light._

_The lights came closer, flashing the shiny, metallic grill of a Jeep before it eclipsed the screen completely and extinguished all light._

_And I woke up._

I spent over an hour lying on my bed, staring up at the white ceiling. I ran through the dream over and over again; it had raddled me nearly as much as the one I'd had just before I woke up from the coma – with the endless streets and empty buildings.

I couldn't tell the difference between reality and fantasy anymore, I didn't think. Was the _Twilight_ world real and last night's dream a figment of my imagination? Or was my most recent nightmare real as well? Was anything real?

"Alright…that's a _bit_ too deep." I mumbled to myself.

After several more minutes of deep thought, I was still confused. I had never met that man before and I didn't know why he was bleeding. I didn't know if I was missing something important or if my subconscious was trying to give me a clue – some kind of metaphor. It was beyond me.

What I did realize – what I think I knew all along – was that I loved Tanya. It wasn't the burning, consuming kind that angst-filled young adult books wrote about. I just liked being around her all the time – I liked being close to her.

It was a very strange and ill-timed thought, indeed. I never much cared for hand-holding or even _hugging_ another person, but Tanya held my hand all the time and I never once complained. I supposed it was the whole "hindsight is 20/20" and all that.

This thought – this realization – was followed swiftly by the obvious question: "does she love me, too?" It was a difficult question to ask myself, since I had been so oblivious to what was going on while I was with her. Also, she happened to be in another universe and completely out of my reach; that was a problem as well.

A brief flash of panic nearly made me rise out of my bed, as I considered what she would be going through if she _did_ love me as well. I wasn't vain enough to consider myself her 'mate,' as the books had defined the term. I certainly didn't feel as desperate to be with her as Bella did Edward in _New Moon_.

But I could feel the pull, the need, to get back to her. I wondered if she could feel it too; I wondered how she was coping. She had been there when I was hit by that…whatever hit me and sent me back here. I cringed and rolled over, burying my face in a pillow.

How horrible it must have been to watch someone…_die_ in front of you. To be helpless as they lay dying on the pavement. I shook my head and pushed myself up into a sitting position on my bed, so completely resolute in my decision that if Alice's ability worked on me – and could work across alternate dimensions – she would undoubtedly see it.

I wasn't quite sure _how_, but I _would_ be getting back to the _Twilight_ universe.

* * *

Things escalated quickly after my resolution to return to the Cullens. I was single minded in my approach, wanting to get back as soon as I could. At the same time, though, I was hoping for more time to say my goodbyes to my family.

My backpack was bulging by the time I was finished packing. I had been forced to leave some of the things I usually traveled with, like my laptop, so I could fit everything into one bag. The damn thing dug into my shoulder blades as I hefted it onto my back and collected my phone and wallet.

Flights up to Alaska were cheaper than I imagined, but that may have been because I wasn't getting round trip tickets. It was strictly a one way trip.

Mom and dad weren't here – they were off shopping somewhere – and for that I was thankful. I placed the handwritten letter on the kitchen table, folded in half. I felt like shit for leaving them like this, but I couldn't risk a face-to-face conversation – somehow I doubt I would be able to say goodbye that way.

I didn't tell them anything about alternate realities or my crazy dreams. It was actually very vague – I might have used the phrase 'I need to go find myself' – but I didn't want them to try to track me down to force me into a shrink's office. I just needed to_ go_.

I should have known I couldn't escape without someone catching me.

"Where are you going?" Brian's voice came from behind me.

"I have to return some video tapes," I jested, cracking my brother's cold expression and letting a small smile appear on his face for a few seconds. He looked at me expectantly, not letting me off the hook. "I…can't tell you where I'm going. I just have to be somewhere; I have something to do."

"You're just leaving?" I nodded. "When are you coming back?"

"I'm not coming back," I said after a moment. Brian sank into his wheelchair, guilt plainly written across his forehead. "Hey," I walked over and grabbed his shoulder. "It's nothing you did."

I don't think he believed me, but he nodded anyway.

"I'm not surprised," he sighed. "Sometimes I wish _I_ could just leave. But…does this mean I get your stuff?" he joked, but I could hear the strain in his voice. I chuckled and nodded.

"Give me a few days in case I chicken out and come back home. Otherwise, have at it."

He nodded.

"What about Mom and Dad?" he asked. "You're just going to leave without saying goodbye?"

"I left them a letter," I nodded toward the kitchen. "I just couldn't…" I trailed off, shaking my head. "Tell them I love them, will you?" He nodded.

"Goodbye, I guess," Brian frowned. I nodded back and headed to the door.

"Bye."

I walked out the door and got in my truck, starting it up and leaving my old life behind. On my way out of town and toward St. Louis, I found myself driving down the familiar streets that led to my grandparents' house. The thought of leaving without saying goodbye to them made me feel absurdly more horrible than I was already feeling.

My goodbye took nearly an hour, almost half of which I spent thinking of how to tell them I was leaving and never coming back. They were upset, of course, but I could tell it meant a lot to them that I stopped by and let them know I was leaving instead of just disappearing on them. I couldn't help but imagine the looks on my parents' faces when they realized I was gone.

I would have gone back and gave them a real goodbye – I probably should have – but I was all of a sudden pressed for time. I needed to get to the airport if I wanted to make my flight; I had no idea how long it would take to get through security since it had been several years since I had flown. And so, we said our final goodbyes and parted for the last time.

The ride to the airport was dull and filled only with the sound of the radio crackling through my truck's damaged speakers. I pulled into the parking lot and purchased two week's worth of parking for my truck. I felt a little bad about leaving it here, since – if my plan worked – I would never be back to pick it up, but I couldn't think of a better solution.

The airport was filled with every sort of person one could imagine. Parents were pushing kids in strollers and businessmen sped-walked past, eager to beat the slower-moving people to the metal detectors. It was a humming, clustering swarm of people that made my extra sense almost glow from the bombardment of pulses. It reminded me of the hallways in-between classes when I was in high school.

I followed the crowd, getting my ticket and standing in line for my baggage to be scanned. It was a mind-numbing process, and before I knew it I was at my gate and my flight was being called. I walked aboard with the handful of other passengers and plopped down in my seat next to the window.

The flight went without a hitch, and was a much shorter ride than the last time I went across the country – only a few hours. After I arrived in Anchorage, I stopped by the connected car rental agency and handed over my debit card for, hopefully, the last time. I wasn't exactly picky with the rental, and went for the cheap, old Nissan they had in the lot. I signed some forms and let them scan my driver's license and I was good to go.

I picked up some food from one of the restaurants in the airport and carried it out to my rental car. It was a small thing, and I imagined anyone over six foot would have a hell of a time trying to ride in the back seat. I got in and pulled up my maps app on my iPhone as I pulled onto the highway and headed toward the Denali national park.

Deciding where I should go was one of the things I thought about after my latest dream. The first idea that popped into my head was to get involved in another car crash, since those seemed to take me in between universes. I quickly rethought that, though; I wasn't suicidal. Maybe it would have worked, but maybe it would have killed me instead of putting me in a coma.

I considered Forks as well, but it just didn't seem right to me; the only thing of significance there was Charlie Swan. Well, also the Quileute wolves; but I didn't think going there would help me.

And then, the perfect idea came to me; the obvious choice. I wanted to get back to Tanya, so why not go find the spot where we had our first conversation? The oval clearing was an excellent pick. It was natural, as far as I knew, so it hopefully existed in parallel to the one in the _Twilight_ universe. It was also remarkably close to the Cullens' mansion, if I made it back.

No; _when_ I made it back.

The road grew familiar as I drove, which boded well for me, and after a few hours of speeding around curves I came across a part of the tree line that was so familiar that I had to pull the car over to the side of the road and take a look. I looked both ways – twice – before I crossed the abandoned road; I had a new appreciation for the power of the automobile since all this madness.

It took me a moment to realize what I kept staring at in confusion. This was the turnoff that led to the mansion. It wasn't there, of course, since _Twilight_ was just a book in this universe. All that was here were trees; not a hit of a road, much less a trail.

I crossed back over to the car and locked it up, pulling on my backpack and heading back over. I took a deep breath and trekked into the Alaskan wilderness, this time bundled up and prepared for the oppressive snow and cold. I held my phone out, trying to make sure I kept a straight path as I went deeper into the woods.

I must have walked for hours. I had long since grown used to the cold, even managing to sweat lightly under my layers as I continued deeper and deeper. The sun had long since set, leaving only the moonlight to guide my path. I cursed myself for not remembering a flashlight as I resorted to using my phone's built-in LED light to see in the dark.

Eventually, as my eyelids were starting to droop, I stumbled upon something familiar. The area where the mansion should have been was peppered with trees and I would have easily walked right through it, if not for the small creek that I remembered was situated at the back of the property. I squinted in the dark, trying to imagine what it would look like with an enormous log cabin here instead of a bunch of trees.

I couldn't; it was much too dark.

I turned to the right, where I hoped the clearing was, and started in that direction. If I was unable to find it – if I was, in fact, lost in the woods and following false trails – then I would be in deep shit. I laughed aloud as I stumbled past a raised clump of snow on the ground. I had considered what would happen if I was unable to get back, and I had hoped that I would be able to, but I had never planned on the possibility of dying from exposure as I shuffled around in the dark, lost in the forest.

And then suddenly, I was there. If I had closed my eyes for half a minute and continued on, I would have missed it.

The moonlight penetrated the treetops like the sunlight did during the day, nearly lighting up the bare, snow-covered forest floor. I smiled to myself as I rested against a tree – I had made it. I meandered over to the collection of large rocks that Tanya and I used to sit on and took my place atop of it.

My burst of excitement at finding our spot wore out and I swayed, steadying myself on the rock. I was nearly there; I could sleep when I was back home. I closed my eyes and focused, letting my senses go.

I couldn't detect much. The subtle wind made the treetops rub against each other, creating a muffled scraping sound. The clearing smelled of the wilderness and of fresh snow, mixed with the faint scent of the evergreen trees. These were not what I was looking or hoping for, but they calmed me all the same.

A tickle. A whisper of a feeling went down my spine. It wasn't a pulse-type feeling; not something I could jump into. It was alien and indescribable, but it had the same comforting feeling that I associated with the pulse. I focused on it, blocking out everything else.

The feeling grew and grew, until it resembled the warm, tingly feeling I would get after finishing an epic video game or listening to inspiring music. It was a sort of rippling, feather-light feeling that shot straight through my spine and made me shiver.

The feeling solidified, and I opened my eyes as I felt…something different. Nothing in the clearing had changed; the moonlight still cast a frail light through the trees and the wind still rolled over me softly, but everything felt…different; felt…more.

Was it working? Was this the thing that would get me back home? I focused my thoughts, imagining where I wanted to go. I had no idea if this helped, and the feeling didn't change, but I started my mental chant anyway.

_Take me back to the Cullens. Take me back to Tanya._

The feeling started to dissipate and slip and my heartbeat sped as I panicked. I leaped up off of my rock and landed with an awkward thud on the frozen ground. I focused again, willing the feeling to return. I wrung my hands and started to pace.

"Come back," I whispered aloud. "Come back." For a moment, nothing happened. The feeling seemed to go back to the tickle it was when I first felt it, and I wondered if it weren't just my imagination.

Then, the tingling surged back in my spine and I grabbed hold with whatever mental muscles I could. I held on for dear life as it grew and grew, pushing past the point where it had disappeared before. I held my concentration absolutely, not even bothering with my chant as I clenched my fists and crushed my eyes closed.

I could feel it on my skin as it wove over and through me; I could even hear it. An actual ripping sound, like a zipper being run back and forth underwater. I gritted my teeth against the shrill sound.

My breath was knocked out of me suddenly and I bowled over, feeling like I had been struck by lightning. The tingle had grown into electric shocks. Tiny, prickling shots of pain ran over my body and I flinched and tried to escape the phantom attacker, only to fall to the ground as I struggled. I could feel my muscles contract and try to release whatever was causing me this pain, and I could also feel the sensation starting to slip from my skin once again.

"No!" I cried, mentally embracing the electricity and convulsing as it instead grew in intensity.

I screamed as a final bolt went through me, pulling and tugging every cell in my body as I felt my body shift and compress. I held on for dear life, even as I was ripped apart and tossed about. My vision faded, as did my other senses, leaving me in this agony; twisting and contorting in an unknown space.

As soon as it started, it seemed to end. The screaming stopped and the lighting faded from me, leaving waves as they departed from my mangled body. My eyelids cracked open, allowing me to see the silhouettes of the treetops as the moonlight passed through them. A rush of wind passed over me before I felt my body start to shut down. I heard a voice as I began to fall asleep.

"Ach môj bože!"

* * *

**End notes:** A lot of strange stuff happening this chapter. Some of it will be explained in a chapter or two. We're about to reach the final few chapters, anyway. There probably won't be a sequel for this story; I cannot really see it happening.


	24. Crash Landing

**-Chapter 24: Crash Landing-**

"Ach môj bože!" a voice exclaimed somewhere above me.

I was fading in and out of consciousness, but I remember being lifted out of the numbing cold of the winter ground and being carried. There were words spoken as the wind grew stronger against my right side, but I didn't even know if they were in English – they were just sounds.

The wind died down abruptly as a loud crash boomed around me, almost making me flinch as I lied helplessly in whoever's arms I happened to be in. My mind drew up a face – several faces – that seemed to be important. I didn't know why I was drawing these pictures in my head; the fog of dying eclipsed everything and made me want to slip away and dream.

But it was important I stayed here. I had to…do something; I had to make sure of something. Unfinished business; that's what the ghosts called it.

Was I a ghost, then?

Warmer air wrapped around me, and I noticed in the back of my mind that I wasn't shivering; that couldn't be a good sign. I could hear murmurs and gasps; low voices whispered around me, some only making my ears twitch as I strained to hear what was going on. I wanted to ask them myself, but my eyelids were too heavy to open – I wasn't even sure I remembered _how_ to open my eyes.

I took stock of my body as the voices continued to chatter away and I was moved somewhere else. I could feel my breathing; my chest moved up and down, though I wasn't sure _how_. I felt like I got beaten to hell. Was I in a fight?

My body ached, but not in the muscles. It was like my blood was trying to burst out of me, boiled from the inside. It felt like what I would imagine a plate of leftovers would feel like, if it could feel at all, after being warmed up in a microwave oven. The thought was ridiculous and I wanted to laugh, but I only managed a gurgle.

"What happened?" a different voice asked.

"I do not know," the first voice, the one who found me and brought me here, said. "He just…appeared in the woods."

My confusion grew as the voices began to fade from my hearing. I felt the need to rest assault me again, but I fought it off as best I could as I managed to hold onto the nearly-conscious state I was in now.

A pressure on my arm made me flinch against my will. The chilled object wrapped around my elbow, gently shifting down to my wrist before it was removed entirely. More murmurs followed, and the frustration I felt allowed me to claw my way further into the waking world. I couldn't yet open my eyes, but I felt more aware of my body and my surroundings.

"His blood pressure is dropping rapidly," the second voice sighed. "I'll do what I can for him here, but there is little chance he will live through the night. There is no internal bleeding that I can tell – and no significant external injuries – but he's _still dying_. I don't understand what is afflicting him so."

"Hypothermia?" another different voice asked. "It was rather cold outside."

"No," the first voice denied. "His temperature is low, but not quite at hypothermic levels – definitely not anything life-threatening. Did you find any ID on him? Do we know who he is?"

"Carlisle," the second voice said. "You need to see this."

The voices started to sound familiar in my mind, and I _knew_ that I knew them, somehow. I couldn't quite place them yet, but the name _Carlisle_ seemed significant. The knowledge was so close, I felt like a failure for having forgotten. What I had forgotten was important.

"Davis?" the first voice asked, their voice almost…awed?

"What?" a new voice nearly shrieked. A cold hand grasped my left arm too tightly and I felt my face muscles constrict in a grimace of pain. My fingers twitched, but I still couldn't move my arm at all.

"Tanya, you're holding him too tightly," the first voice, Carlisle's voice, warned. The hand disappeared.

_Tanya_.

Like a lightning bolt, everything snapped back into place and my eyes cracked open, letting in the dim-yet-harsh overhead light. Several figures stood around were I lied, though their features were shadowed and indistinguishable. I blinked slowly as I started to recall the information that was given back to me.

I was Davis Marks. These were the Cullens – at least some of them – and I was back, somehow, in the _Twilight_ universe.

Harsh memories of pain and agony, of being electrocuted in that clearing, rubbed my brain raw as I relived them. Thoughts of leaving my family compounded the pain, but the memories of Tanya and the Cullens kept me from forcing them out completely.

"Davis?" Tanya's voice asked, making my head tilt as much as it could toward her silhouette. "Is it really you in there?" I tried to nod.

"I…made it…back," I rasped out, my mouth twitching into some semblance of a smile. "I feel like shit." Tanya bubbled out a laugh that didn't sound genuine as her hand grasped mine in a less-sturdy hold.

The sudden realization I was holding Tanya's hand came to me as quickly as my memories did, causing me to gasp as I peered at our joined, gloveless hands. Tanya seemed to follow my gaze and realize what I had at the same moment. She let out a surprised gasp and squeezed her grip lightly.

"Your power," she said. "You're not body jumping. How…" she trailed off, looking back into my eyes.

"I don't…" I swallowed as I shook my head. "I don't know how."

"Davis," Carlisle's voice rang as he appeared before me in a whirl of wind. "It is good to see you again," he smiled at me. "but I am afraid I have some bad news."

"Heard you…talking," I muttered out as I closed my eyes to escape from the harsh light. "I don't look good, eh?"

"Your body is dying, Davis," Carlisle said solemnly. "I can't get your blood pressure back up to normal levels. Do you think you would be able to jump into one of our bodies? I will try to locate a new host body for you as soon as I can, but for now we need to get you out of this one." I shook my head as much as I was able, though even that small amount made me dizzy.

"I can't," I breathed, reaching for Carlisle's hand. He took it, and furrowed his brow in confusion as I remained in my own body. "'s not working; I'm too weak to…" I took a breath and continued. "Even if I wanted to…this is me. It's my body; I can't…let it die." Carlisle sighed and nodded as he released my hand, going back to work on the various machines I realized were surrounding me.

Another cold body pressed near my own and my hand was grasped again. I knew this was Tanya without even glancing at her, and I coughed at the ill-timed short-circuit of my ability. It just _had_ to be when I was on my death bed that I was finally able to physically touch a vampire without hijacking their brain. I wasn't sure if Tanya realized this as well, but she squeezed my hand anyway.

"I won't let you die, Davis," Tanya said softly as I rested my eyes, relaxing as much as I dared. I hummed out a breath to let her know I heard her and I was still awake. "Carlisle?" The vampire doctor sighed again as I felt him move closer to us.

"There is a significant chance he wouldn't survive the change," Carlisle said. "I can't say for certain, since I cannot find the origin of his injuries. But it makes little difference; I've done all I can for him, medically."

The bed shifted and a door opened, leaving me wondering what was going on around me and who had left or entered the room. Tanya was still here; I could still feel her hand clasping mine. The hand shifted and another was pressed against my shoulder. My eyes cracked open a sliver in response, but the light was too bright; I had to close them again.

"Stay awake, OK?" Tanya whispered. "Don't you dare go to sleep, Davis."

I tried to nod, but an incredibly sharp pain shot through the crook of my neck, causing me to gasp and my eyes to fly open. The light was all but forgotten as Tanya's face pulled away from mine and she looked into my eyes. The light source was shining from above, blocking most of her facial features with deep shadows, but I was still able to catch the dark red droplets of blood on her lips.

The first thing I felt was a warmness, like the sun on my skin. The feeling was so bright, even through the numbness of my near-death state. The warm feeling grew and changed, becoming a tingling, uncomfortable sensation like a fevered cat scratch. My hand twitched, longing to reach up and smother the unwelcome feeling away, but I was still too weak.

The real pain rolled in swiftly, exchanging the uncomfortable warmth for piercing stabs of fire. I jerked and tried to roll off whatever I was lying on as my body rebelled against the invasion of pain. Cold hands held me down as I continued to twitch and gasp.

I had often wondered, morbidly, what it would feel like to stick my hand in a deep fryer. This _had_ to be what it was like. The acidic bubbles of fire started to wrap around my neck and travel down into my chest, where it seeped in and cooked my flesh until it was well done.

I think I knew what was happening to me, though I wasn't sure how I was able to think at all when I was being branded with lava. I had made it back to the other universe that was inhabited with shape shifters and vampires, but the process had somehow cost me my life. There was something wrong with me – they had said I was dying.

_I won't let you die, Davis._

Tanya bit me, and now I was changing into a vampire.

I writhed and screamed in pain, pulling at any memory my mind could touch to try to drive the chemical burn out of my conscious thoughts. Movie theaters and car crashes played in my head, muting reality to a splitting ache as they repeated and swam before my eyes.

Things start to make less and less sense as I slip further into my mind.

_I watch my parents as they drive down the road. I am screaming at them to turn around, but they cannot hear me. A river of liquid mercury smashes against the side of their car like a flash flood, flinging me from the car. The mercury dissolves as the car crunches, but they aren't my parents. Not really._

_My grandmother is putting together an Elvis puzzle. She loves his music, and even had the opportunity to see him in concert when she was a young woman. I try to help her fill in the parts of Elvis' face, but my hand cannot touch them. They burn me as I reach toward the table. My grandmother looks at me and smiles as she cups my cheek with her withered hand._

_I walk around the single theater chair, misplaced as it is in the middle of the deserted intersection. I can hear the steady stream of cars moving along the streets and people talking as they walk along, but I never see anyone and no car ever passes. Another version of me – a clone, I think – orbits the same theater chair, as though we are satellites and the chair is a planet._

_He is looking at me as I stare at him, both of us wondering why the other is doing the other's action. Abruptly, the buzzing traffic sounds cease, leaving only the crunching of rocks and dust under our feet as we walk around the chair. The other 'me' falls into the seat with a sigh of relief, relaxing as he grips the arm rests._

_A car hits me out of nowhere._

I was jerked back to reality with a shriek of pain, the venom continuing to eat away at me. My teeth grinded together as I held in my screams as well as I could. I couldn't tell if Tanya was still here with me or how long I had been out, but I wanted to go back and get away from this.

How had Bella held still?

A cold hand gripped mine, feeling colder to me now than it ever had. A pressure surrounded my chest and I could smell something pleasant as a cool breath blew across my face.

"Davis, you're alright," Tanya's voice told me. "You're halfway there; just hold on." I wanted to laugh in joy and curse in impatience.

The pain began to numb again as I felt myself slip into another dream state. I relished in the feeling, hoping I wouldn't be submerged back in the brutality of reality until the venom was finished repairing my body.

_I was in a movie theater again, and I sighed at the repetitive nature of the scene. Still, I took my seat and waited for the 'movie' to start. I had an educated guess as to how this was going to end, after all._

_Just like before, someone sat down next to me, and I turned to look at them. The witty remark at how monotonous strange dreams in movie theaters were died in my throat as I looked at my brother, Brian, sitting next to me. His look of bewilderment must have mimicked mine as we looked at each other for what seemed like hours._

_"Davis?" Brian asked._

_"Brian?" I mirrored. "What are you doing here?"_

_"You were never here before," he mumbled to himself as he looked at the screen._

_The movie had started, showing the dash and windshield of an all-too-familiar jeep as it drove down an endless highway at night. The theater speakers softly played the engine and road noises as the steering wheel turned ever-so-slightly every once and a while._

_"I never thought I'd see you again," Brian said, drawing my attention back to him. I laughed without humor._

_"Ditto," I replied, turning back to look at the inside of the theater. There was no one else here; we were the only patrons._

_"Mom and dad were pissed, you know," Brian said. "Grandma said you stopped by; I think that made it worse on them."_

_"I couldn't just leave them without saying goodbye," I defended myself._

_"No, I mean mom and dad," Brian shook his head. "You told me you were leaving and stopped by grandma's house, but you only left a note for mom and dad."_

_"It was childish of me," I ducked my head. "I was scared they wouldn't let me leave; I _had_ to leave."_

_"I told them something like that," he nodded. "It still sucks" I nodded as well._

_I could feel a buzzing in my brain, like a tug, and I knew my time here was about to run out. I looked at my brother with wide eyes, feeling like I needed more time. My fingers dug into the arm rests and I breathed in a deep breath._

_"Can you tell them I'm alright?" I asked quickly. "Let them know I am safe; that I'm OK?"_

_"But I don't know you are," Brian spread his arms around the theater and stood up on his feet, gesturing to them. "This is just a dream."_

_"My truck!" I exclaimed. "It's at the airport in St. Louis in the long term parking lot."_

_"Why?" he asked. "Where did you go?" I shook my head._

_"It doesn't matter," I sighed, feeling the mental tugging getting more and more frantic and strong. "Use it as your proof. If it's there, I'm real, right?" Brian's eyebrows scrunched as he slowly nodded in understanding, taking his seat again._

_"Alright," he conceded._

_He opened his mouth to say something more, but I was pulled back out of the theater and shoved into the real world._

The buzzing settled into a familiar, warm pulse as my heart contracted and stumbled to a halt. I pulled in a breath and opened my eyes.

* * *

**End notes:** I usually skip over vampire changing scenes in fanfictions, since the all seem to be the same, so I decided to make it a little bit different for Davis. Hopefully, if you're paying attention, you can see the significance of some of the scenes Davis flipped through in his delirium. If you can't, that's OK, too; I'll have a huge spoiler at the end of the epilogue that wraps the ending up in a bow for you.

Speaking of endings, there's probably only one more chapter to go before the epilogue and explanation/spoilers/extras chapter. It's been quite an experience writing this damn thing, and I very much appreciate anyone who read it. But let's be fair, I appreciate the ones who reviewed chapters even more.

Also, I thought I would mention that there will not be a sequel. Can't do it; I don't have the strength of will to pull another plot in this specific universe out of my ass.


	25. Though My Mind Could Think, I Still Was ...

**-Though My Mind Could Think, I Still Was A Mad Man-**

My breath held in my chest as I stared at the white ceiling above me. I could make out the tiny bumps and pits in the dried paint where the brush had left imperfections behind. The light bulb hanging under a glass cover was off, though the room still seemed strangely illuminated.

Underneath me, I could feel the soft mattress of a bed. My fingertips rested against the fabric, allowing me to feel every thread of the comforter that was pulled over the sheets. Parts of the bedspread were crinkled and folded into themselves, forming waves of congested cloth that made the bed feel strangely uneven.

I could hear the trees swaying and shifting outside, their bark creaking as the wind blew against them. Dripping and crunching, birds chirping, the faint rushing of water over rock – all of these were revealed to me immediately, as though my ears were suddenly unclogged.

The sensations. The blaringly-loud and crisp sounds. The crystal-clear images. I knew what this was; I had experienced it before, but it seemed different now, for some reason. It felt more _raw_. I felt like a coiled snake, ready to strike out at the smallest thing.

I pushed my breath out, watching the stream of air batter against the calm bits of particles floating above me, swirling and spinning like a tornado.

A scuff – barely any noise at all – reached my ears, and suddenly I was up and across the room, pressing my back into the wall with much more pressure than I should have been using. I was frozen in my crouch as my fingers dug into the wall, only my eyes darting and rolling as I analyzed the other person in the room.

She was beautiful, with golden eyes, pale skin, and strawberry blonde hair. She was wearing a long-sleeved t-shirt and blue jeans – a simple outfit, though I felt this choice didn't suit her for some reason. Her expression was calm, yet hopeful – nothing like the violent curled lip and bared teeth I had been instinctually expecting.

My memories trickled into my mind, filling in the missing pieces and forcing a gust of air into my lungs as I stood in shock, remembering who this was. My posture straightened and I stood erect, staring at the woman across the room. I opened my mouth to say something to her, when the breath I had just taken into my lungs finally registered in my brain.

I had been a vampire before when the Cullens had allowed me to ride along inside their skulls, but the scents had never been _this_ vivid. The symphony of smells that was usually one, large scent, was suddenly able to be broken down into its individual parts. Wood grains in the floor were now smellable, as though they were just installed an hour ago. I could even smell the different coats of paint on the walls and ceiling, along with the wooly smell of the cotton bed sheets.

But the most _obvious_ scent was something incomparable – like the hybridization of an apple and a lemon, though even that description wasn't quite good enough. A faint hit of cinnamon was there, too; adding spice to the extremely sweet smell that seemed to come from the direction of Tanya.

_Tanya_.

I took a small step forward and paused, freezing in place as the humming warmth I had felt since I woke up grew in volume. The pulse seemed to get closer, and I mentally placed two people behind the closed door of the room I was in. A cluster of energies was somewhere below me, probably on the next floor down, and as I stared down at the carpeted floor, I wondered where I was.

The room I was in was feminine, though not overly so. The color scheme was much the same as I had come to expect; white on white with a simplistic look – sleek. My memory tickled at some half-forgotten picture, and I _knew_ I had been here before. My nose flared, picking up the subtle scent of apples and lemons that saturated the room.

I looked back at Tanya, understanding coming to me. This was Tanya's room; of course. The reason I felt unfamiliar here was because we spent most of our time at the Cullens' house or at the oval clearing – I had only been here a couple times.

"Davis?" she asked, her voice ringing supremely clear. My new vampire brain sped on ahead, processing the multiple thoughts in my head simultaneously and allowing me unparalleled room in my head to formulate a sophisticated response.

"Uh…"

Good job, vampire brain.

Tanya rushed at me in what would have been a blur to human eyes, and I fought the instinct screaming at me to dodge or attack. She wrapped her arms around me in an enormous hug, the force of it causing me to collide with the wall behind me, which was already damaged from earlier. Her hair whipped around me as I heard her inhale, apparently taking in my scent as she continued to cling to me.

It was surprisingly similar, holding a vampire as a vampire. I hadn't had the chance to when I was borrowing bodies to walk around in, since a single touch was enough to make me jump ships, but Tanya felt no different to me than any other human I had hugged before. I paused at that thought, feeling our arms touching as we embraced.

I could _feel_ my ability – that obnoxious pulse – but I wasn't forced out of my body. The connection was open, and I felt confident that it would hardly take any effort at all to 'body snatch' her, as Emmett would have called it. I laughed at the sudden control I was experiencing with my 'gift,' and Tanya half-released me as she inclined her head to look up at me.

"So," I said, holding back the sudden impulse to start saying gibberish just to hear my own, improved voice. "How did you like _Django Unchained_?" She looked me with wide eyes, like she couldn't believe I had asked her that, of all things. A small huff of bemusement came from somewhere downstairs. "Sorry," I sighed. "I'm just really glad to be back." She nodded and stepped back, keeping a hold on my hand and giving it a squeeze.

"Which we're going to have a long talk about," Tanya said, a small smile on her face. "But first you have to hunt." She tugged me to the enormous sliding-glass window and opened it, putting a foot on the edge and gesturing for me to do the same.

As I would have expected, the mention of hunting ignited the burn in my throat that had been present since I had awoken. I swallowed reflexively, though I won the battle with my hand and kept it from cupping my throat. The thirst was a kind of sick sort of torture, since it seemed to grow worse the more I thought about it – which in turn made me think even _more_ about it, and how to make it stop.

Tanya gave me a sympathetic smile and pulled me out of the window, causing a few choice expletives to fly out of my mouth as we fell through the air at a rather slow rate. Both of us hit the snow-covered ground with a dull thud, and I couldn't help but look back at the window in awe of the distance – it was _quite_ a ways back up there, but I felt completely fine.

Well, except for the burn in the back of-

I rolled my eyes at my circular pattern of thought and tried to block out thoughts of…_that_. It wasn't as hard as I would have imagined, since the high definition trees drew my attention as Tanya tugged me along, ducking into the tree line and through the small buildup of snow along the edges.

We dropped our hands and started to run through the trees together as we went further and further away from the Denali house. I breathed in deeply every few seconds, relishing in the fresh smell of the forest as I breezed along at the familiar vampire-breakneck speed. Eventually, Tanya slowed to a walk and I joined her, still breathing deeply.

An odd scent wafted in the air, which I immediately knew was a source of blood. It wasn't quite…_inviting_ as I knew it could be, had I smelled human blood. The odor reminded me of teachers in high school warming up their microwave meals in the teacher's lounge – the smell that lingered in the hallways was _obviously_ edible, but it was also unwelcome and unappetizing.

"Do you smell that?" Tanya asked. I nodded. "I'll follow far enough behind you so you won't feel threatened."

Tanya nodded in the direction of the animal – whatever it was – silently telling me to go ahead. I scrunched my eyebrows together in concentration and nodded back to her, crouching low and streaking toward the heartbeat that had started to become more and more hypnotizing the longer I listened to it.

I caught sight of the large antlers and warm, shaggy body of the animal that would become my dinner – my first meal as a vampire, if I didn't count my hunt with Emmett. I hesitated for a second, feeling a steady growl building in my chest as I watched the animal and breathed in its smell, which was starting to grow on me the longer I waited to pounce.

A second was the end of my patience, and I lunged abruptly as the wind shifted, alerting my furry friend to my presence. It let out a strange cry as I collided with it, feeling the bones of its neck snap in my too-tight hold. Without a conscious thought, my teeth were ripping through the shaggy neck of the unfortunate animal as hot relief spilled down my throat.

The experience was slightly alarming, but it felt _right_ as it was happening. It was only afterward, as no more blood came out of the carcass, that I realized just how little control I had had as I lunged at the…deer? Was this a deer? It looked kind of like a moose, although its bones were contorted and broken in several areas – crushed like crackers.

A twig snapped a few yards away and I snarled, spinning around in a crouch. The sound cut off from my throat as I realized it was only Tanya, and I hesitantly straightened into a standing position. I forced myself to calm down and relax – Tanya wasn't going to hurt me.

"Want some more?" Tanya asked with a smirk. I nodded reluctantly, measuring the significant – but nowhere near soothed – drop of the thirst in my throat. It still burned, but it was on a lower flame and nowhere near as frantic. I remembered hazily that animal blood would never completely put out the thirst like human blood, but there was also no way I was going to start killing people to live. "Follow me, then. I hear a few wolves about two miles off."

* * *

I stood under the steady stream of water with my eyes closed. I could feel the grime – the dirt and the blood – running off my body, but I didn't really want to take a look until most of it was already down the drain. I used my hands to scrub my hair gently, since I was too paranoid to actually touch a washrag or the soap containers for fear of crushing them like I did my first kill's bones.

Tanya hadn't asked me any questions, and for that I was grateful, but I could feel the slow panic start to build up inside my chest as I felt another cluster of pulses arrive at the edge of my range. The rest of the Cullens were here, no doubt, and they would want to talk to me. I hadn't even begun to consider what to tell them.

A mixture of unworthiness and embarrassment were circling around me at my recent actions. I knew Tanya was glad to see me – she had nearly had a fit when I had to separate from her to take my shower – but to the others, I couldn't help but consider myself a burden that wouldn't go away.

Mentally – logically – I remembered Carlisle had told me I had a place here, with them. But I had made it back home and _chose_ to come back here; there was no unstoppable force that pushed me here against my will, like last time. I had been back to my old life, and even if it wasn't perfect, it was familiar and…well, not quite comforting, but something close.

It only made it worse that I had tripped back into this universe so haphazardly that I had to be changed into a vampire or I would have died. I wasn't upset about my sudden change of species – I had always thought vampires were cool, and I was digging the extra abilities and immortality – I was _more_ concerned on how the Cullens viewed their condition.

The dramatic 'woe is me' attitude Rosalie had about how much she hated being a vampire was extreme, I'll admit, but nearly all of the Cullens had a more diluted attitude. Well, maybe not Emmett or Alice – and Bella too, to a degree – but the majority of them wouldn't have chosen this life over their human one. Which was the crux of my problem.

I _had_ chosen this. Maybe not directly, since I couldn't have known coming back here would nearly kill me for some reason, but I had given up the life I had known for twenty-one years for one involving vampires, shape shifters, and body jumping. I was afraid of what they would think of me for that choice.

I stepped out of the shower and twisted the nozzle with the lightest touch I could manage, eventually moving the dial to the 'off' position and stopping the water flow. I toweled off and slipped into a t-shirt and jeans, treating them like tissue paper as I dressed slowly. I felt like I should have been sweating bullets after I was presentable, but my body felt refreshingly great.

With extreme hesitance, I shuffled over to the mirror in the bathroom and peered at my reflection. Of course, the eyes were the first thing to draw me in; they were bright red, of course, and stood in stark contrast to my pale skin. I smirked into the mirror, strangely OK with the brilliant color – they actually looked kind of cool, and I would get a kick out of them until while they lasted

My face was as I had expected: perfected, angular features. My cheeks had thinned considerably, and no longer held the constant red blush I always wore across my face like I was embarrassed consistantly. My torso had undergone the most drastic change, though. I hadn't been obese before, but in my human life I was certainly no muscled body builder. The thin layer of fat had melted away, leaving subtle muscle ridges that, while nowhere close to anything Emmett would have, were well developed.

I took a deep breath and stepped away from the sink, moving to the bathroom door and grasping the knob as I turned it and prepared for the discussion that was bound to come. A hollow crushing sound came from my hand, and I released my grip on what used to be the door handle. The collapsed bunch of metal held on the door for a second before dropping to the floor with a thud.

"Well, shit," I breathed, eliciting distant snickers from somewhere in the house. I ran a hand down my face and groaned. I gently pushed against the door, stopping once I heard the wood protesting and beginning to splinter. "That's just fucking awesome. I'm locked inside the bathroom." A swift breeze came from the other side of the door and suddenly the door was opened.

"You broke my door," Tanya teased as she freed me, allowing me to step back into her room.

"Just the doorknob," I corrected, gritting my teeth as she stared at me with mirth in her eyes. "It was faulty anyway." I was sure my face would have been red, had I had a pulse.

"Yeah, sure," Tanya rolled her eyes and grabbed my hand, tugging me out of her bedroom and downstairs to the sitting area. "Faulty."

It was extremely difficult to walk into the room of twelve other vampires – not to mention the hybrid and shape shifter. I wanted to bolt as soon as I entered the room, and had this been my very first experience inside a vampire body, I definitely would have. As it was, I was only barely hanging onto my civility – Tanya's firm grasp anchoring me.

Jacob's smell was…gross. It was every bit the wet, dirty dog smell I had imagined – and so much more. I held my breath on instinct, but managed to force a breath in and out. It was possible to become acclimated to this, right? I sure as hell hoped so.

We took our seats next to Garrett and Kate, who nodded toward us before glancing back at Carlisle, who had what looked like curiosity painted on his face as he stared at nothing. He glanced at Edward, who cocked his head to the side before he shook it. This caused Carlisle to frown in thought, and I recognized the signs of their silent conversation.

The awkward silence continued until Emmett spoke up.

"So you can come back from the dead, too?" he asked. My eyes widened at his question. I hadn't died, had I? They wouldn't have been able to change me into a vampire if my heart wasn't beating, right? He must have seen my confusion, because he clarified. "You got hit by a car, man. Tanya tried to save you, but…" He trailed off.

"Emil is – his body, I mean – is dead?" I glanced at Carlisle, who nodded and quickly explained.

"Tanya carried you and I met her halfway to Anchorage; Alice had told me Tanya would be calling. You injuries were severe; there was nothing I could do. We tried to get you to jump into one of us, but…" I nodded in understanding.

I remembered some of that, from the strange dream I had landed in after I got hit by that car. Tanya's voice had been telling me to jump into her – she had been calling out to me, but I couldn't respond. I was stuck in that damn empty city with Emil and my doppelganger.

"So wait," Emmett said. "You mean you didn't know you were dead?" I gaped at him, though it wasn't surprising that he was confused. _I_ was confused.

"I never died," I shook my head. "After I was hit by the car I woke up in the hospital, back in my world."

"But then how were you able to get back here?" Edward questioned. "Bringing your own body, no less." My head shook again.

"Blind luck," I supplied with a shrug. "I flew to Alaska and drove up to Denali and found the oval clearing," I cast a glance at Tanya. "I tried to force whatever made me come here to happen again, and I suppose it worked since I'm here." I could see the looks on their faces, not quite understanding what I was saying. I _was_ skipping over quite a bit of the story. "Maybe I should just start from when I woke up in the hospital?"

"Yes," Carlisle nodded. "I believe that would be best."

And so I explained. I told them everything I could remember, skimming over my own personal thoughts and feelings as I described my short visit back in my world. I told them about my brother sitting in that wheel chair as well as my field trip with Brandon. I expressed my shock and denial once I realized I still had some version of my ability in my world. Everyone listened while I spoke, though I could tell it took some effort as I described the process of reentering this universe in the clearing.

"I am amazed that you were able to bring your body with you, since you came without one on your first trip here," Carlisle mused aloud after I had finished. "You said you experienced severe electric shocks as you…for lack of a better expression, slipped into our dimension?" I nodded. "Interesting. There were no burn marks on you when Tanya brought you back to our house, but extreme low blood pressure can sometimes be caused by electrocution."

I considered that, but said nothing. I honestly had no idea how I had come back here or why my body had given out like it had. It was all a bit fantastic and out of my depth – though I guess for a body-jumping vampire, nothing was _so_ far away from my level of weird.

"Why did you even try to come back here?" Rosalie asked, her voice less violent than I would have expected. "You had a family back in your world; a life!"

"It wasn't the same," I shook my head. "When I got back, everyone was thrilled I had come out of my coma, but it was almost like I wasn't real to them; like they had already given up on me. On top of that, my brother was going to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair and pretty much hated the world for it."

"And you gave up on them!" Rosalie exclaimed. "Instead of working it and actually _trying_, you came back here!" I pressed my hand against my forehead and sighed.

"Your rants were much less annoying in the book," I snarked, eliciting a hiss from Rosalie. "Yeah, I left; but even if I never made it here, I wasn't going to go back. Sorry if you think that's stupid, but…" I trailed off as I shrugged. I could almost hear Rosalie's teeth grind, but Carlisle stepped in again.

"If I may," he said, sending both Rosalie and I a glance before resettling on me. "Are your abilities intact? I noticed you were able to be in physical contact with others without jumping into their body." I nodded, grateful for the change of subject.

"I think so," I tilted my head and nodded again as I felt everyone's – bar Jacob – pulse in the air. "I can still sense everyone, though I'd have to actually _try_ to jump, I think, to test out whether or not I am still able to." I flexed my fingers in Tanya's hand and turned to look at her, cocking an eyebrow and silently asking for her permission.

"Fine," Tanya sighed. "I suppose you can test it out on me." I looked back at Carlisle with wide eyes as I remembered what happened to my old hosts when I jumped into a new one.

"My body will be OK if I jump, won't it?" I asked. Carlisle tilted his head forward and hummed.

"I don't see why it shouldn't be," he affirmed. "You can't die from lack of oxygen anymore." I nodded and concentrated on Tanya, slipping into the connection that had been opened since she had touched me.

It came easier than ever before – a smooth transition. Nearly instantly, _my_ body was falling slack against the couch we were sitting on as I looked through Tanya's eyes. It was mildly disturbing, since my body's eyes stayed open, staring at nothing with a blood-red gaze. I adjusted to Tanya's mind seamlessly, stretching and settling in as I filtered through her surface thoughts.

_It worked_, I thought to her.

"I hear him," Tanya said, still not taking her eyes off my body. "This is very strange with your body so…_dead_, Davis. Would you mind going back into your body?" I could feel her sense of loss as she compared how my body looked to that of Emil as she cradled his broken body after being hit by a car. I gave her a mental nod and slipped back into my mind.

My lungs filled with air as I came back to myself, straightening up in my seat. Carlisle looked at Edward, who nodded once and tilted his head.

"It's much the same as it was before," Edward said, answering some unspoken question. "Static. I can hear a few scattered words and phrases, but for the most part I cannot read his thoughts. With Davis inside Tanya's mind, the static was still there, but lessened – it didn't interfere with my ability to hear her thoughts." Carlisle nodded and looked at Alice and Jasper.

"I can see him _much_ better now, but he's still fuzzy," Alice sighed. "Not nearly as bad as the shape shifters or Renesmee, but still enough to make seeing his future difficult."

"Much of what Edward said of his gift is true for mine as well," Jasper began after Alice had finished. "I can feel a _few_ of his emotions now, but they are muted."

The crowd dispersed after the discussion was over and I escaped with Tanya back up to her room. Already, I could feel my thirst begin to ever-so-slowly creep back into my throat, and I knew I would have to hunt again soon. Maybe Tanya and I could go tomorrow or even later tonight. I spotted my backpack against the wall and went over to it, eager to distract myself from the burning in my throat.

Most of it was clothes and food for the trip up through the national forest, but nestled near the top was a familiar hardcover book. I pulled it out carefully, examining the apple on the cover as Tanya followed me over and peered at the book as she leaned around my shoulder.

"Twilight?" she asked. I nodded.

"It's the story of this universe," I flipped to the back cover. "It's how I knew everything I did about this place. I don't know why I brought it, but I'm pretty sure this should belong to Bella." I had taken the book from my brother's shelf before I left. It seemed…appropriate that I bring it along.

"Later," Tanya said with a smirk. "Let's stretch your legs." She grabbed my hand and pulled me to her window again, only giving me enough time to toss the book on her bed as she practically threw me out of the window. She landed a second after I did and we began running.

"The clearing?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.

"Yes," Tanya grinned. I huffed out a laugh and clasped her hand again as we raced through the Alaskan forest.

**-end-**

* * *

**End notes:** And there you have it; the finale. The last chapter will be the epilogue and the Q&A portion, where I'll reveal anything and everything that doesn't make sense.

If you'd like, leave any questions you have about the story (it can be anything, really) and I'll see if I can answer them.

So long, and good night.


	26. Epilogue and Explanations

**-Epilogue-**

_Mom and dad, I'm leaving today. I'm not coming back. It's nothing you did. I just have somewhere I need to get back to._

_I'm sorry I'm not saying this to your face, but you wouldn't let me go. You would only talk me out of it; we both know it._

_You won't understand why I have to leave. I barely understand it, myself._

_I can't promise I will keep in contact with you. Where I'm going…I can't be sure I'll ever talk to you again. I am so sorry about that._

_Keep Brian out of trouble. Let him know it's not his fault. I never blamed him; I still don't._

_Don't wait up for me and don't mourn me. I'll be OK, I promise._

_Davis._

I folded the letter back up and set it in my lap. There were faint tear stains on the paper, though I wasn't sure if they were from my brother or my mother. I wheeled myself into the kitchen and put the letter back on the table, which was uncharacteristically cluttered.

My mom was curled up on the couch in the living room, though from her position I wasn't sure if she was watching TV or sleeping. She had been doing a lot of both since my brother's disappearance right after he came out of his coma.

Dad wasn't home, either, though I wasn't sure where he was. Mom thought he hung out in bars, getting drunk, but he never really gave us an answer. He would just come home late – about midnight, most nights – and head to bed.

I went over to the sink and managed to grab a glass from the dish drainer without much trouble. I rolled back over to the refrigerator and pushed the glass against the ice dispenser, switching the dial to water and pouring myself a glass.

I took small sips, not wanting to overwhelm my bladder. Going to the bathroom was the worst part of losing my legs, though I had never even considered that aspect of it when I was able to walk. My face screwed up into a grimace as I pressed the glass to my lips, allowing the cool water to slosh over my exposed teeth. I sat the half-drank glass back on the counter and started to roll back to my room.

A stack of mail caught my eye and I paused, turning my chair and rolling up to the table to take a peek and see if anything came for me. I put the pile in my lap and rolled back so I would have room to read. There wasn't much here that was interesting. A cable bill, a couple junk mail flyers, and a hunting magazine all flipped through my hands and ended up back on the table. The last piece I had kept in my lap for last, as I had read the name it was addressed to.

_Davis Marks._

My head looked up at my brother's door, which remained closed and untouched since his disappearance. My eyes landed back on the letter, which had the Lambert Airport's logo and return address stamped on the envelope. I stuck my finger under the sealed flap and tugged gently, ripping open the seal and exposing the inside.

I pulled out the folded paper inside and smoothed it out on my lap, reading through the 'notice,' if the headline was anything to go by. My eyes scanned the body of the letter quickly, hitting on key words and making me gasp as the letter fell out of my hands and tumbled off my knees and onto the floor.

It was a notice from the St. Louis airport about my brother's truck being parked in the long term parking lot several days after his prepaid limit. They had tried to call the phone he listed, but got no response, so they had sent this letter to notify him that the truck would be towed at his expense.

Images of my half-forgotten dream flashed in my head, of the last time I had really had a normal life. I had had the dream more than once; the dark movie theater where we had gone to see the last _Twilight_ movie was nearly always the stage for it to play out. Sometimes there would be other people in the theater, their silhouettes bland and indistinguishable. Other times, I was alone.

But the one that was different involved Davis. The look on his face was absolute shock as he looked at me, looking at him. The details elude me now, but I remember him trying to convince me he was actually talking to me – as if we were sharing a dream. The dream was lucid, and so I told him that's what it was; just a dream – there was no way he was really there.

He said something excitedly about his truck, as though it would convince me absolutely that he was really here. I didn't understand him at the time – as soon as I had woken up I had only given the dream about two minutes of serious thought. I believed him now.

He was OK.

* * *

**-Questions and Answers-**

_Why didn't Davis kiss/have sex with/marry Tanya? They were mates, right?_

Yes. They are mates. Davis didn't do those things because that's not his character. He worries and lives inside his head most of the time, but he is largely oblivious to the feelings of others, unless those others make their feelings known. Davis _does_ love Tanya, but that love isn't expressed with kisses and sex in this story.

_Why did Davis all of a sudden decide to leave his family and go back to the Twilight universe?_

I was originally going to write this scene in more obvious, but as it is, it's kind of implied. During the chapter where Davis dreams he's in the movie theater, watching his face on the screen doing nothing but peering into the camera, it was a reference to how much time he spent doing nothing in his real life. Davis spent much of his time on the computer, and would have spent much of his life doing the same mundane things he has always done had he remained in his world. He realizes this, on a subconscious level, and this is why he is so driven to getting away from it all.

_What about a sequel?_

I said there wouldn't be one, but now I'm not so sure. Maybe. That's my official answer. I have a lot of other ideas, though, so it might never happen.

* * *

**-What A Tangled Web We Weave-**

This is just a fair warning. The rest of this 'chapter' is basically me handing the behind-the-scenes plots and hidden references that make up the backbone of this story. If you don't want the mysteries handed to you on a platter and are content with this story the way it is, read no further. Here be spoilers.

If you haven't read up to chapter 8 in _Unstoppable Force_ (my other _Twilight_ fanfiction), you might want to also reconsider reading further. Spoilers for that chapter and below are here as well.

You have been warned.

* * *

As you were reading, you have probably come across a scene, action, or character that was never fully explained later on. There are several references from my other story, _Unstoppable Force_, that show up in this story.

**Minor References to _Unstoppable Force_**

In chapter 12, Davis goes into the kitchen to get himself a drink. He pulls out one of many Mountain Dews from the crisper, a soda the Cullens have, even though Jacob, the only other person besides Davis who drinks human beverages, prefers cola and beer. This is a direct reference to Emily Ambrose's love of Mountain Dew.

In chapter 13, Davis wonders into the garage and finds a stockpile of cars. One of them, the furthest one back, is covered up and has a layer of dust on it. This is a nod toward Emily's Dodge Viper, though it could just have easily been the car the Cullens gave Davis for Christmas.

In chapter 24, while Davis is changing, a small snippet of one of his delusions involves a river of liquid mercury crashing into Emil Brock's parent's car. The mercury is a nod toward Emily's own 'liquid metal' delusion while she was changing into a vampire.

In chapter 23, we see a strange man interacting with Davis while he's dreaming about the movie theater again. The man seems to be bleeding from his chest, but no explanation was given and we never learned his name. This man is, in fact, Dr. Virgil Stein, who aided Emily Ambrose in her complicated system of changing into a vampire and was later murdered by her.

These are all well and good, and there is one more major reverence I haven't covered yet, but I need to explain a bit more so you'll understand the context.

**Multiple Universes, Multiple Car Crashes**

In this story, you see two distinct universes: our world versus the _Twilight_ world. But that's only on the surface; there are actually many, many others, all linked together through Davis.

In the first chapter, Davis watches a movie at the theater and is involved in a car crash afterward, which sends him to another universe. This is a common theme throughout the story. The very next time Davis sees a movie in the theater, he is involved yet again in a car crash, which sends him back to his real universe.

The third time he watches a movie, there is no crash. This breaks the trend, but sets in motion the series of events that would lead Davis back to the _Twilight_ universe permanently.

Emil Brock, the host body Davis uses through most of the story, was _also_ involved in a car crash, leaving him comatose and allowing Davis to have a convenient body to inhabit.

This detail is extremely important.

Directly after the second car crash Davis is involved in, after seeing the movie with Tanya, he is dropped in an empty city-scape with Emil, and later a copy of himself. After a few seconds, Emil disappears, leaving Davis wondering where he went. The duplicate Davis tells him he 'went back home,' but Davis thinks that's unlikely, since his body is comatose and probably dead.

But that doesn't matter. The duplicate Davis meant he was going to the place he had been while he was in a coma. The place he considered home was no longer the world he was born in, much like Davis found his world to be alien to him after living with the Cullens.

There are _multiple_ versions of Davis. Some of them look just like him and others have different identities (Emil Brock). All of them, though, are displaced in different universes that are not their own.

In chapter 24, when Davis is changing and is delusional, another delusion involves him and another copy of himself revolving around a single movie theater chair. After a moment, the duplicate sits down and sighs in relief before our Davis is hit by a car. Musical chairs, anyone?

What we're hinting at here is the reshuffling of all the various and possible versions of 'Davis' in the multiple universes, all stepping into another universe entirely. There had to be a starting point and there had to be an end, which is where the largest _Unstoppable Force_ reference comes in.

**Emily Ambrose: Agent of Chaos**

Davis dreams about the accident that killed Emil's parents and left him in a coma, but he cannot see what caused the accident.

He hears Emil's parents talking about 'selling it' and 'accepting the offer.' Mac, Emil's dad, tells him he would be glad he kept 'it' when he wanted a job.

Mac Brock owns Brock Labs, the laboratory Emily Ambrose acquires in _Unstoppable Force_. In that story, it is left rather vague as to how it was acquired, though it is implied Emily simply buys the lab. That's obviously not the case, as Mac rejected Emily's offer.

Since there was no way they would sell, Emily killed the entire family in a 'car accident,' which set in motion the series of events that led to our Davis eventually migrating to the_ Twilight_ universe. This is also why Davis sees the liquid mercury crush Emil's parent's car in his delusion as he's changing into a vampire.


End file.
